


Breathless

by loisselina (LoboMarshall)



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Asthma, Charming Family Feels, Daddy!Charming, Family, Family Feels, Gen, Hospital, Kidnapping, Momma!Snow - Freeform, Parent Prince "Charming" James | David Nolan, Parent Snow White | Mary Margaret Blanchard, Parents Prince "Charming" James | David Nolan & Snow White | Mary Margaret Blanchard, Past Child Abuse, Pneumonia, Protective Parents, Sick Character, Sick Emma, Sick Fic, The Charming Family, a whole load of feels tbh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-17
Updated: 2017-01-20
Packaged: 2018-08-15 13:32:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 33
Words: 172,381
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8058277
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoboMarshall/pseuds/loisselina
Summary: Emma puts her life in danger yet again, though this time it's by ignoring the fact that she's ill. David and Mary Margret have got to try and get their stubborn daughter well, but will she let them? And what will she do when King George attacks her family while she's ill? Will she be able to help or will she just hinder?Canon divergence from season 3 (so Snow is refered to as Mary Margret). Set a year after the birth of baby Neal. This story was originally in my drabbles 'Charming Family Drabbles', but when I re-read it I realised I wanted to be able to expand on it. Enjoy!





	1. Chapter 1

Emma sat cross-legged on her bed attempting to steady her breathing, as the familiar feeling of something akin to a dumbbell resting on her lungs, filled her body and made her stare at her own chest to make sure she _was_ actually breathing. She tried to cough as quietly as possible to clear her throat – so not to let her parents hear her. She had found out very quickly when she first moved in with Mary Margaret that as soon as Emma so much as coughed, or sneezed, her mother would worry. It didn't take very long after the first curse was broken, for her to find out that her father worried about her having minor colds just as much, if not more, as her mother – albeit he did it slightly quieter, from a distance, and often convinced Mary Margret to talk to her. She soon finished coughing and found it was getting even harder to breathe. 'Okay, not good.' She thought to herself, as she felt a cough start to build again. Before she could give in to the urge, she heard heavy footsteps fall on the stairs, past Henry's bed as he got closer to hers. She quickly sucked in a breath and hoped that her father would leave her room quickly.

"Hey Em," David smiled at her when he rounded the corner, before he turned his attention to his cell phone which he was fiddling about with.

Emma wasn't entirely sure when it was that her father started to call her 'Em', but she found that it was one of his less embarrassing nicknames, and she kind of liked it, so she let it pass.

"Have you got the cruiser keys?" He continued. "I forgot that I left my truck at the station, and you know how your mother complains when we drive about in it at the weekend." He looked back at her as she simply nodded in return. He frowned slightly at his daughter, she was never quiet, not unless something was wrong. "Are you okay Emma?" he asked as he crossed his arms, he attempted to make it sound casual, however when he saw his daughter roll her eyes, he knew he had failed at that.

Emma rolled her eyes on impulse at her father trying to seem cool, he managed to pull off the act with Henry, but as soon as he did it to her his concern overrode his attempts and it turned into what she would describe as an interrogation. She let out a sigh as she realised that he wasn't going to let her blow off his concern without a verbal discussion. As soon as she let the breath out, she realised her mistake. She spluttered then started to choke as she gasped for breaths, panicking as her throat felt as though it was shutting off completely. She doubled over and closed her watering eyes, she felt the bed dip beside her and David's hand began to rub soothing circles on her back. After a moment she sat up straight still coughing.

"It's okay Emma. Just focus on breathing. In, out." David soothed. He hid his panic in only the way a parent could and focused on making sure Emma was okay. "In and out." He repeated a few more times, the mantra forced her to mimic his breathing.  
After a few minutes Emma's breathing had returned to only slightly faster than normal, although it was still laboured, and she leant against him, subconsciously seeking comfort. He placed a gentle kiss on the top of her head, then looked at her, his skills as a seasoned warrior and his hypervigilance as a father helping him to attempt to assess if she was ill, with what, and how long she had been ill for. Now that she was no longer wearing the makeup that she had been during the day, he could see the purple that hung under her eyes and her skin was a few shades paler than it normally was. "How long have you been feeling ill for, Emma?" He asked her softly.

Emma made a whine of protest at her father's, in her opinion, overly-concerned tone. She turned herself so that she could hide her face into her father's chest: she knew that he could tell when she was lying by looking at her face and she didn't have the energy to try to put on the level of acting that would be needed to convince him. "''m fine." She mumbled as she let her eyes drift shut. "I'm not ill."

"Yeah, you're fine." He remarked sarcastically as he rolled his eyes, although he couldn't help but find how she was acting kind of adorable. "That's why you're having coughing fits. Come on, let's go downstairs and get you some medicine." He moved his daughter gently off of him and stood up, hoping that Emma would follow suit.

Emma moved herself backwards to rest against the headboard. "No. I'm fine." She replied stubbornly as she glared at David slightly.

David raised an eyebrow in response. "Come on Em, please, let your mother and I help you?" he tried to plead.

Emma carried on glaring and crossed her arms as she shook her head no.

David sighed and opened his mouth, ready to argue back, when he was interrupted by Emma having another coughing fit. He gently rubbed her back again as she tried to regain control. When she was finally finished coughing she looked at him with tears beginning to make tracks down her face. Although he knew that most of the tears were the coughing, he was sure that at least a few were from how miserable she was obviously feeling.  
"We're going downstairs, and you _will_ let your mother and I take care of you." He said in a no-nonsense tone as he helped her off of her bed, any fears he had of Emma not being happy with his decision had lost to his fears over her health. He stepped back to let her lead the way only to watch her stumble. He quickly wrapped his arm around her shoulder and took the lead as he led her down the stairs.

*OUAT*

Mary Margret sat at the kitchen table with multiple sheets of paper scattered in front of her, and even more pens of different colours sat upon them. Since she had gone back to teaching, a little over a year ago, she worked part time at the school so she could also look after Neal. Today was a rare day that she had been allowed to finish early, as the children were doing sports for most of the day, so she had completely the majority of her marking and was now colour coding a teaching plan for herself and the other teacher she shared her class with, Ms Shakeshaft.  
She heard two pairs of footsteps on the stairs, and Emma's voices muttering grumpily at something, making David sigh, as she inwardly grimaced she looked up at the pair. She could feel her expression soften as she looked at her daughter, who obviously did not look well, however was wearing a pair of sweats and a t-shirt, on top of which she had one of David's plaid shirts that he had been looking for a few weeks previously. Her expression changed very quickly to one of worry when her daughter reached the bottom of the stairs clearly out of breath from that short trip from her room.

David shot Mary Margret a panicked look as Emma freely leaned against him.

"Emma, are you okay?" she asked fully knowing at her daughter would deny being ill, yet she couldn't stop herself.

Emma nodded in return as she looked sleepily at her mother.

"Mary Margret, can you grab the thermometer? I'm going to get her to the couch." despite the scared look on his face, his voice sounded confident as ever, although he couldn't quite keep the concern out of his voice.

"Of course." She nodded as she stood up, the chair scraping on the wooden floor.

"I'm fine." Emma said quietly, David and Mary Margret shot her stern looks in return, which caused her to look at the floor to avoid them.

*OUAT*

Mary Margret rushed to the bathroom and threw open the mirrored cabinet which hung above the sink. She rooted through the collection which the family had built up over the last few years, she sighed as she realised that somebody, probably David, had decided to move everything around the last time he was looking through it. As she tried to find the thermometer she heard Emma's frustrated and croaky sounding voice float through from near the living.

"I don't need to sit on the couch and I'm not ill."

"Emma. We have already been through this: you _are_ ill, you _are_ going to sit on the couch, you _will_ have your temperature taken¸ and you _will_ take any medicine that we think you need." Came David's clearly frustrated reply. "Now, are you going to walk to the couch, or do I have to carry you to it?" he threatened slightly calmer.

Mary Margret couldn't help but laugh quietly at her husband's frustration at their stubborn daughter as she clearly got _at least_ half of her stubbornness from him. Although she had to admit she loved hearing him use his 'dad' voice, which he had down to a tee, especially as it worked so easily on Emma.  
"A-ha!" She muttered as she finally found the thermometer before grabbing the cold medicine, she sighed again when she realised that someone, definitely Emma, had left the empty bottle in the cabinet, she'd have to send David out for some more.

*OUAT*

As she walked back to join her family in the living room, she had to bite her lip to stop herself from laughing.  
Emma was sat on the couch with her arms crossed as she glared at David who stood next to the couch protectively, he glanced down and raised his eyebrows at her and gave her a disappointed look.  
Emma looked down, no longer glaring, however was now pouting. David looked up at Mary Margret as she approached them and rolled his eyes with a smirk which caused her to smirk back.

"Here you go, Emma, put this in your mouth." She said as she handed the thermometer out to her daughter with a smile. "Your father and I need to know your temperature, so that we can figure out how to get you better." Mary Margret said with a maternal look at Emma's sceptical tone. She couldn't help but feel proud when Emma reluctantly accepted the thermometer, without a verbal argument, albeit with a roll of her eyes.

Emma looked into her own lap as she picked at her hands, while she sat with the thermometer in her mouth, she could almost feel the piercingly-over-concerned looks her mother and father were shooting through her head. She couldn't help but to feel uncomfortable at their caring, as nice as it was to know that they cared so much about her, she couldn't help but feel like a hundred people were staring at her and singing happy birthday. She looked up as the thermometer beeped, she took it out of her mouth, only to have it taken out of her hand by her mother. She let a sigh slip past her lips and immediately regretted it, she sucked the air back in through her teeth, as a sharp pain shot through her chest. She sat trying to compose her breathing and hoped her parents wouldn't notice.

Mary Margret and David looked at the temperature on the thermometer together before turning to engage in a silent conversation. Although they were both worried by Emma's high temperature, it wasn't so high that they had to rush her to a hospital, at least not yet. David nodded to his wife in agreement that they would keep a close eye on Emma, before he turned his attention upon his daughter, who hadn't yet protested at them not telling her what her temperature was.  
He saw Emma looking thoroughly miserable, her face was now paler than before and her face was contorted in pain, and her eyes were scrunched up. David touched his wife's lower back, as he moved toward Emma, to draw her attention to their eldest child.

David sat down next to Emma and started to rub soothing circles onto her back once again. David watched as Emma sleepily moved her head up to look at him, her green eyes were filled with sadness as they met his blue ones, he placed his arm gently around her and placed a kiss on the side of her head, only just noticing the fact that she had stolen his shirt as he did so.  
Emma leaned against him, no longer trying to hide how ill she was, David automatically manoeuvred them both so that they were sitting against the back of the couch instead of sat upon the edge.  
Emma closed her eyes and pulled her legs up onto the couch, she tucked them up so she was comfortable before she curled even closer to her father. David looked over at Mary Margret in worry as Emma took hold of his shirt, he could feel the wheeze which was interwoven with her quickened and laboured breathing.

Mary Margret disappeared to the kitchen with a determined look upon her face.

David looked back down at his daughter and gently placed a kiss on her head, Emma opened her eyes and looked at her father. "Hey kiddo." He said softly. "How you feeling?"

Emma frowned slightly "Not very well." She replied quietly, her voice scratching her throat as she did so. She shivered slightly and moved closer to her dad.

"Are you cold?" he asked and felt her nod against his chest. He grabbed a throw which was draped on the back of the couch and covered Emma with it, tucking her in carefully. He saw her look of confusion as he tucked her in. "You have to have something to keep you on the couch." He winked earning him and eye roll as she tried to hide her smile. "Does your chest hurt, Em?"

"Mm," Emma hummed "And my throat." She let her eyes close again and tried to move even closer to David, part of her knew she should feel at least slightly embarrassed at being curled up with her dad when she was almost thirty years old, but for whatever reason being with her dad made her feel slightly better so she chose to ignore it.

David frowned in concern, the few times he had seen Emma ill she never admitted it, if she was freely telling him some of her ailments, she must be feeling really ill. He looked back up to see his wife walking back over to them, with her boots and coat on, carrying a blanket from their bed in one arm and holding a wet rag and some juice in another.

Mary Margret could feel her heart fill with love when she saw her husband and daughter cuddled up with each other, David's arm protectively around her as she sought out comfort, she held onto his shirt so she could know that he was there, even when she had her eyes closed. She passed the wet rag to her husband so she could sort her daughter out. "Emma" she called softly, Emma opened her eyes with a small whine of protest. "You need to drink some of this juice, sweetheart."

Emma frowned as David helped her sit up slightly before she was passed the drink. Emma winced slightly as she first drank some of the juice as her throat ached in protested, she drank half of the glass then passed it back to her mother, the small amount of movement made her feel as though she had run a marathon. She curled herself back up to her father, she felt him lean her back to rest against his chest and her mother's hands tuck a blankets around her and gently kiss her head.

"Get some sleep honey." Mary Margret whispered before standing back up from where she was leant over her daughter. As soon as she moved David gently pressed the piece of cloth to Emma's head in hopes of cooling it down. Mary Margret smiled him as he looked at their daughter: If she had told herself, years before, that she'd one day have two kids and a husband that cares so much about her and their children she'd have thought that he was crazy. She touched her husband's arm to get his attention.

"I'm just going to run to the store to get some medicine for Emma, we're completely out of everything, but she had decided to leave the packets in the cabinet." David rolled his eyes as both he and Mary Margret had repeatedly told her not to do so. "Neal's still down for his nap, are you okay with me leaving you with both of them? I shouldn't be too long."

"Yeah of course." He smiled, he could see the worry his wife was trying to hide from him, and realised even she hadn't seen Emma this ill before. "'I would offer to go, but apparently she's rather clingy when she's ill." He watched as Snow smile in understanding, it was rare they got to see this side of Emma, whenever they did they tried to make it last as long as possible however this time they'd rather she was well even if it were to sacrifice it. "I'm worried." He admitted. "She seems to be having some trouble breathing."

Mary Margret frowned. "I'm rather worried too, we'll have to keep a close eye on her, but if it gets worse we should take her to the hospital." She smiled slightly at her true love. "I'm pretty sure she's just going to get cuddlier, you know. Before the first curse broke she was pretty ill one time, but of course, she refused to admit it. Even then I was worried about her, maybe it was the mother in me knowing my baby was ill. I had to trick her into going to the doctor's office by pretending we were going out to get some junk food and a movie."

David gave a slight chuckle at that. Emma moved closer to him in protest at the movement of his laugh jostling her. "Shhh I'm sorry, it's okay, princess." He soothed as he rubbed her back, he looked at his wife when Emma had settled down again.

"She only agreed to go in to get checked out when I threatened to drag her in there, and stay while the doctor evaluated her, just so that I could force her to do as she was told." Mary Margret continued. "When she came out, she seemed to have accepted that she was ill, but she convinced me to actually getting junk food and movies. Her walls used to be so high, but as soon as she got ill, she became a like a koala, clinging onto me and wanting to watch movies with me. Of course, as soon as she was better she tried to push me away again, but I think that's because she wasn't used to having anyone there for her while she was ill. She wasn't sure what to do afterwards."  
She shook her head at the memory of how different Emma was when she had first found her, she couldn't help but wish that they had been there for her when she was a child, but she also felt proud at how much Emma had progressed from when she first came to Storybrooke.  
"Anyway, I'll be back soon, I have my phone with me. Call me if you need anything." She requested before kissing him.

"Of course. I love you."

*OUAT*

Half an hour later, Mary Margret was walking up the first flight of stairs with bags in either hand when her phone began to ring, but stopped ringing before she could get her phone out of her bag. The ringtone was one she only used for David. She raced up the stairs, as fast as she could, and threw the door to the loft open.

"Mary Margret! Thank god you're here" David breathed out in relief. He was sat on the couch with his coat and shoes on, he was rubbing Emma's back as she sat leant against him. Emma was fighting to keep her eyes open, but she too had shoes on, and one of David's jackets. Her shoulders rose and fell quickly with the pace of her shallow breathing. "Emma's breathing's gotten worse, we need to take her to the hospital. I tried to call-"

Mary Margret dropped the bags onto the table and rushed over to her eldest child. "I was half way up the stairs, I didn't get it in time." She kissed the top of Emma's head and pulled her to lean on her. "How'd she get this bad, this quickly?" she asked her husband in a quiet voice.

"I'm not sure, but I'm going to go get the cruiser key from upstairs."

Mary Margret nodded to him as he passed her, then she took his place next to Emma. "It's okay Emma. It's going to be okay, just breathe, it's all going to be okay." She soothed as she ran through a check list of things she needed to do.

Emma looked at her in response "I…. know." She managed to get out, but couldn't keep the fear from her eyes.

She sent her daughter an encouraging smile "Good. Your dad's going to go with you to E.R, while I get a sitter for Neal, then I'll meet you there, okay?" she said trying to distract her while pushing a golden strand of hair behind Emma's ear. She took note of the slight blue tinge of her daughter's lips and had to force herself not to let Emma see how scared she really was.

"Sounds good to me." David said as he walked swiftly over to them. "Come on, kiddo." He said as he helped Emma stand up, as soon as she did her legs shook and she started to fall, luckily David managed to catch her before she hit the floor. He swooped her up into his arms and started towards the door, Mary Margret trailed behind him.

"Keep me in touch and I'll be there as soon as I can." As she watched David carry their daughter doing the apartment building's stairs, she couldn't help being reminded of the last time her husband had carried their daughter away from her, a familiar sense of fear spread through her.

*OUAT*

Emma felt her father carry her into the loud hospital, yet could not bring herself to be embarrassed, as she normally did when her parent's displayed affection for her in public. She focused instead on her breathing, and tried to remember what it felt like to not have to think about how to do it.

Time seemed to pass differently as she fought sleep, she barely remembered being in the police cruiser with the flashing lights on.

One second she was being placed down on a bed, the next she had one nurse taking her temperature, another her blood pressure. She felt someone clip a pulse oximeter onto her finger.

She saw her dad staring at her with concern and fear, stood slightly to the side so he wouldn't be in the nurses' way. An old fear forced a trickle of fear to run down her back. She needed her dad to be closer to her.

A sudden burst of energy allowed her fight to get to him. She knew it was childish, but she wanted him close, she knew was safe with him there. Her eyes blinked closed, and when she opened them her dad was stood next to her.

She could hear the murmur of his voice, but she couldn't decipher what he was saying to her, although it might have been him explaining what each of the nurses were doing. A nurse spoke to him about something Emma couldn't quite hear and saw him furrow his brow in confusion and shrug.

She felt a small plastic Dixie-cup being pressed against her lips and the next thing she knew she was throwing up. Her eyes closed again, she wasn't sure how long they closed for, but when she opened them she saw a nurse place an oxygen mask on her face and her dad next to her as he stroked her hair.

She turned her head to the other side, and managed to make out the blurry numbers on the machine which would tell the doctors her oxygen and heart levels.

She stared at the number sixty six, which she knew should have been the number one hundred.

Then the world faded into darkness.


	2. Chapter 2

As soon as he had stepped through the E.R doors, with his daughter in his arms, a nurse had spotted them and saw how much trouble breathing Emma was having. The nurse rushed them through to the triage bay and quickly sat the back up so Emma wouldn't be led down. David stood at the side as he helplessly watched nurses move around Emma and connected her to machines.

Emma's eyes shot open full of fear as she searched for him, once she had found him she jolted forward, her arm reached out for him as she yanked it out of one of the nurses' grasp. He darted to the side of her bed, grateful that he might actually be able to do something.

"It's okay, Em, I'm here." He soothed as he leaned her back against the bed. "Let's let the nurses help you, yeah? They're measure your oxygen, heart rate, and blood pressure, then they'll be able to get you well. I won't leave you kiddo, I promise."

*OUAT*

"Excuse me, Sheriff Nolan?" A nurse with a clipboard asked as Emma's eyes drifted shut again.

"Yes?" he replied as he kept his eyes on his daughter.

"We believe your daughter's suffering from an asthma attack, brought on by another illness, though we're not sure what just yet."

David felt his brow furrow.

"How long ago did she take her preventer inhaler?"

His face contorted in confusion as he shrugged, but before he could say anything the nurse interrupted him.

"You weren't told, were you?"

He shook his head in response, his words failed him, he was just aghast that Emma hadn't told himself, or her mother, something so important.

"It's okay, my kids try to hide these sort of things from me too." The nurse joked trying to reassure him. "I'm going to assume she hasn't taken an inhaler in a while, definitely not in the last hour."

"Yeah, she's been with me all afternoon, I don't think she even has one." He said, though his mind was elsewhere, trying to piece together any information he knew about asthma.

"Okay, we're going to give her some steroids to try and get the inflammation in her lungs down. We'll also get her a nebuliser treatment to help her breathe. We'll get her stabilised and onto a ward, the doctor will see her as soon as possible."

He could only watch as one of her nurses gave her some steroid tablets, almost immediately she threw them back up. He could feel his heart quicken with worry, she needed those tablets desperately, what would happen if she couldn't take them? He stroked her hair as a mask was placed over her face.

"Start up an I.V, steroids and fluids." A nurse commanded as Emma's eyes rolled shut. "And page Doctor Whale."

David was ushered to the side of the room again, he had a feeling that they would normally have made him wait outside, but they knew he would not be leaving Emma's side. He watched as they put an I.V into Emma's arm and increased the flow of medicine on the nebuliser. He could feel his eyes burn as he refused to look away from her, not even to blink. He willed her to get better, he hoped, and prayed to anything that had any power in the realms, to let his child survive.

*OUAT*

As soon as she had watched her husband and daughter drive away, Mary Margret spurred into action. First she rang Ruby, to ask her to come around to the loft to watch Neal, Ruby immediately accepted and promised she'd get there as soon as she could. Then she rang Regina to let her know what was happening and asked her collect Henry from school as Emma wouldn't be able to do so. Regina not only said she'd collect him, but she insisted that she'd look after him until Emma was better, she claimed that she didn't want Henry to get ill too, but asked her step-daughter to pass on her well wishes to Emma, which Mary Margret supposed was testament to how much the ex-evil queen, had changed. Once she had hung up the phone, she heard Neal cry, having woken up from his nap, she raced up the stairs to collect him from his room, as she did so she walked past Emma's door.

"Hey baby." She smiled as Neal stopped crying when he had her in his line of sight.

"Mama!" he exclaimed and held his arms up.

Mary Margret obliged and grabbed a couple of his toys, she walked into Emma's, and Henry's, room. She placed Neal on Emma's bed and gave him the toys to play with. She took Emma's weekend bag from the cupboard and set about packing her a bag. She felt her phone vibrate in her pocket as tucked Emma's baby blanket into the bottom of the bag, as she knew Emma would be able to draw some comfort from having it close by, she heard the loft door open and close and Ruby's footsteps pad up the metal stairs. She pulled out her phone and saw David's face on the screen.

"Dada?" Neal questioned as he saw his mother's cell.

"Yes baby." Mary Margret answered Neal absentmindedly before she pressed answer on the phone. "David?" She demanded when she pressed it to her ear. She watched as Ruby sat down on the bed next to Neal and zipped up Emma's bag for her.

" _Mary Margret. Emma's got worse, they have her stabilised, onto some medicine, and she's sleeping now, but they're keeping her in and they didn't say how long for. She just got so much worse so quickly. I need you here. Please._ " David's voice was tinny with machines and people in the background, but she could still hear the fear that was threatening to take over. He was barely holding it together.

"I'm on my way." She promised.

*OUAT*

Mary Margret skidded to a stop when she reached the room she had been told was her daughters. She tried to steel herself for what would lie behind the door. She opened the door quietly, yet David still jumped up as soon as she crossed the threshold, as though he had a mental tracker on where she was. He wordlessly wrapped her in a hug, but her eyes never left Emma.

The top of the bed was set to a fifty degree angle, as Emma led against it asleep with an oxygen mask on, an I.V in her arm, and an oximeter on her finger. David pulled out of the hug then interlocked his fingers with his wife's.

"What did the doctor say?" she asked quietly as she led him back toward Emma's bed.

David stopped suddenly. "Whale is pretty sure she has pneumonia," his eyes were fixed straight on Emma as Mary Margret stared at him, "he's running her blood to find the type. What made the pneumonia worse was the fact Emma has asthma."

"What?!" she replied sharply.

"According to Whale the last time he treated her for something, when you took her in, she told him she used to have it pretty bad. He gave her a new prescription for one but she never collected the medicine. How could she not tell us? In fact, how could she be _so stupid_ as to ignore it?" his voice rose as he spoke.

Mary Margret's eyes flickered nervously to her daughter. "I don't know, but let's give her a chance to explain why, before we march in all guns blazing."

"Did you not hear the bit where she hid a life threatening condition from us?" he demanded as he crossed his arms.

"Yes I did hear that." She glared back. "But she deserves a chance to explain why she felt the need to do so, before we _calmly_ explain why it was dangerous, and that we'd rather know."

David looked down, a guilty expression on his face at his outburst, he kicked at a piece of invisible dust on the ground. "Okay. But she is still in big trouble." He relented.

"I'll agree with you on that one. She really scared you, huh?" she tried to send him a small comforting smile but couldn't avoid a frown appearing instead.

David took her hand again. "I thought we were going to lose her." He pulled her in to another hug as the word hung in the air. They couldn't cope with losing her. Not again.


	3. Chapter 3

She just about feel her arms pressed tight against her body, she tried to move the left one, but pain shot through it. She was in a box, she decided, or a coffin, some barrier was close against her face. No. It wasn't the separation of levels of a box. It was a mask, which pumped some gas into her face, and forced itself down her throat. She attempted to hold her breath but less than a second later she gave up, the gas must be stopping her, she thought. She tried to move her other arm, she felt the pull of wires, but managed to push the mask off of her face. She became aware of the erratic beeping of machines as she gasped for breath. As the machines performed their cacophony, her mind was drawn to Greg and Tamera and how they kidnapped Regina. She forced herself to sit her as her head span. Her brain felt as though it was floating in her skull, like a balloon filled with helium hitting the ceiling of a room, in its ill-fated attempts at freedom. Two hands engulfed her shoulders, she feebly fought against their strength, then one of them left her shoulder. She felt the mask being placed over her face again. She forced herself to open her eyes. She had to escape, she had to get back to her family, and she had to stop Peter Pan from getting them.

*OUAT*

But when they opened they didn't meet the faces of kidnappers, there was no Greg, no Tamera, and no Pan. Instead her eyes met the blue eyes of her father. She was in a different room than the one she woke up in. He was there rescuing her _, no_ , the words on the window's curtains told her she was in Storybrooke hospital. She must have been admitted in there again.

"Hey princess." David breathed out, his relief was evident, but Emma wasn't entirely sure why he was so relieved. "Em, you need to calm down a bit, okay? Calm down and you'll be able to breathe better." He soothed.

But the mask took over her line of sight and the high pressured medicine being continuously shot at her stopped her from responding. She pushed it down again, forcing it to lay against her neck.

David took the mask into his hand again and tried to put it on her, only to have her turn her head, making it so that he couldn't. "Come on kiddo, let me put this on you, the mask is helping you to breathe, you need it. Your mom will be back in again in a minute." He pleaded to his daughter as she continued to look around the room slightly deliriously.

Emma continued to dodge her father's attempts to get the mask back on her.

*OUAT*

A beam of light appeared and widened from the corridor outside of the room as the door opened.

Mary Margret stepped into the room with a nurse following her, in her hands were a couple of bags of food and a tray holing three hot drinks. "Emma." She said, surprised to see her daughter awake despite getting a drink for her, she placed the food and drinks down on the table and moved to Emma's side. "How is she?" she directed to her husband as her hand brushed the side of Emma's face. She could still feel the heat coming off of Emma, yet saw her shivering slightly.

"She woke up rather distressed, the mask is still bothering her, I tried to put it back on her," He told both his wife and the nurse his voice was weaved with hopelessness, "but she's not letting me." He looked down at Emma, concern was sketched into every crevice of his face.

"I can tell them myself." Emma whined, slightly breathlessly, and half asleep. She could feel the burn of her chest as the air tried to enter and leave the tight space, the burn turned into a forest fire as she spoke, but she had decided it was worth it. But then her parents shot her disproving looks, they seemed disappointed at her remark, and she was pretty sure they were angry at her for some reason. She sank down in her bed, she felt nervous as to why they'd be angry at her. She knew it was irrational to feel so nervous but she couldn't help it, it seemed that no matter how old she got, her parents somehow managed to make her feel younger than Henry. And that part of her, which was winning the fight for dominance, was desperate to be at home with her family, not in hospital. Never in hospital.

"Not to worry, we find that patients are often irked by the full face masks. I'll switch the medicine to a nasal cannula as her oxygen levels are steadily improving." She explained as she switched with the machines. She placed the tube around Emma's head and smiled at her. "Is that more comfortable?"

Emma nodded unable to find her response.

"Good. My name is Lucy, I'm going to be your nurse while you're here, I'm going to take your vitals then I'll be out your way for a little while." The nurse continued.

Emma leant against the back of her bed, in silence, as she let Lucy read her temperature with an ear thermometer she jotted it down on her notes then read the rest of the vitals off the machines. She smiled at the family before she left out of the door that she had entered through.

*OUAT*

Emma felt her eyes drifting shut again, she forced them open, not ready to go back to straight away. Mary Margret stroked the side of Emma's face once again, Emma's eyes this time shifted to meet her mothers, green meeting green. "Why don't you get some sleep Emma?" the teacher suggested.

Emma shook her head tiredly, "Wanna stay awake 'bit longer." Emma mumbled.

Mary Margret opened her mother to argue, but was stopped by David's voice.

"Why don't you have some of your hot chocolate, your mom brought you back, before you go to sleep."

Emma nodded, she wasn't overly thirsty, but she was happy for the chance to delay sleep. She watched as her hands shook as she was passed her drink.

David's heightened senses were the only thing which stopped the hot chocolate ending up on the bed when Emma dropped it, he quickly caught it not even a drop spilt. He passed the drink over to his wife instead, "Why don't you help her with that, I'll just…" he trailed off and nodded his head, instead, towards the bag Mary Margret had brought with her to the hospital.

Emma frowned as her mother nodded to him, then gently pressed the drink to her mouth, yet she gained no explanation as to what her father was doing. Deep down she knew she should probably protest at how her parents were treating her, but she was too exhausted to do so. She felt the heaviness of her bones as she drank the warm drink. She felt as though she had just been part of a triathlon, but her mind was still ticking away, like a clockwork toy. It wasn't making her feel any better that her father was acting so bizarrely. Normally when she ended up in hospital, granted through injuries never illnesses, he would be putting her at ease. This time however, he was standing off to the side, watching her constantly instead of talking to her: he didn't even bother to hide the worry in his face. The fear that she had when she woke up, that she had angered her parents, hadn't gone away in fact it seemed to have just intensified. She drank as much as she could then gently pushed her mother's hand away.

She looked down at her own hands which were tracing the patterns on the bed linen. She felt her mother brush her hair away from her face.

"Are you ready to get some sleep now, sweetheart?" Mary Margret asked softly.

Emma bit her lip and kept her head down, she felt herself nod her head, she knew that she wouldn't be able to fall asleep but she would at least pretend to, until her parents left. She wasn't even sure why she wasn't able to sleep, there was just something innately wrong, and it wasn't just because she was in hospital. For once, probably in her entire life, Emma wanted to do as she was told: she didn't want to disappoint her parents anymore. She shivered slightly and saw her mother move, out of the corner of her eye, to get once of the spare blankets which sat on one of the cabinets.

David gently tapped Emma's shoulder, her baby blanket hidden in his other hand. He watched as her eyes slowly looked at him, there were tears slowly forming in her eyes, which made blue specks appear in her normally green eyes. He perched on the side of bed in front of Emma, shocked at her emotional response. "What's wrong, Em?" his voice was just above a whisper. Tears spilled down her cheeks, and he could see she was starting to get worked up.

"I don't know." She whispered with a shrug.  
David gently wiped the tears with the pads of his thumbs "Hey now, none of that." He smiled at her. "I think you're overly tired, kiddo, maybe this will help." He held up the white blanket with the purple lace that was in his hand. He watched as his daughter's face shifted from relieved, to confused as to how it ended up in the hospital, then finally to worried that people would see her with it. "Your mom brought it with her-"

"-And some clean clothes!" Mary Margret injected as she covered Emma with another blanket.

"And some clean clothes." David resumed with a smile. "It's okay if you need it with you kiddo, hospitals make us feel like that, when I was here I always felt better to have your mom with me, even though I didn't know who she was. And anyone who says that it's not okay, to want to have something to comfort you, will have your mom and I to deal with." He mockingly puffed up his chest which elicited a small laugh from Emma. "But right now, I think it's time you went to sleep, before your mother tells me off for keeping you awake." He winked at her, before kissing her forehead, he watched as she tucked her blanket between her body and the top blankets, then tucked her in, not missing the eye roll she gave in response. He sat back down in the chair beside her bed.

Mary Margret moved to the head of the bed. She took Emma's face gently between her hands "You can sleep, baby, your father and I will be here all night, I promise." She, too, gently kissed Emma's forehead, by the time she moved away half a second later, Emma's eyes were closed.


	4. Chapter 4

The clicking of the door shut, woke Emma from her slumber, however it wasn't for another minute or two that Emma realised that she wasn't in her own bed, she took some soothing breaths as she dredged up her memories of the previous night, before, finally, she opened her eyes. Her head had turned, slightly, to lean on her left shoulder as she slept. She looked towards the window which looked out onto the corridor, the florescent lights illuminated her room which meant it was night time, she had come into the hospital shortly before dinner, she squinted slightly at the clock on the wall in the corridor and made out that it was either eleven something, or five to something. She realised with a frown that the figure with their back to her using the payphone across from the window was Emma's mother. She felt her heart quicken with guilt at the fact that she was still there, before realising there was gentle breathing in her room too, meaning her father was there also. She made sure to keep still so she didn't alert him that she was awake, not just yet anyway, she took the way her mother's shoulders hung tiredly, she the guilt just built. Her parents should be at home with her little brother, she was an adult she shouldn't be taking up their time when they had an actual child to look after, she thought. She sighed quietly when she realised she was going to have to convince her parents to leave her, although she knew that when she had done that she'd be able to discharge herself without them there telling her to stay, she'd be out of the hospital and back at home by a few hours' time.

"You joining us in the land of the living, Em?" David's voice was gentle and cautious, but there was something in it which let Emma know he had known she was awake the entire time.

Emma turned her head to the other side, toward her father's voice, who was sat in a chair next to his daughter's bed. The Prince's clothes were already creased from the busy day but now his hair was tussled and had tracks from where he had been running his hand through it. Although his smile was kind, she could see the worry on his face, although she wasn't entirely sure why. She watched his concern grow before she realised she hadn't yet answered.  
"Ye-"her voice broke as it tried to pass through the barrier of her throat, "Yeah." She tried again, she knew that if she ever wanted to get rid of her parents and be able to escape she'd have to convince them that she was fine, even if she felt like crying when she spoke- her words felt like sandpaper as they left her throat.

David stood up and passed her a glass of juice which was on the side table, just out of her sight, his movements were slower than usual, sluggish and obviously exhausted.

Emma started to wonder if he had moved at all while she was asleep, she drank some of her drink then passed it back to him, she wasn't used to having people around her to help her while she was in hospital, least of all her parents, but she liked not being lonely as she was when she was in them as a child. However all this only added to her feelings of guilt of Neal being without them, she looked down at her sheets and absentmindedly traced the patterns on them as she attempted to formulate a plan, although she figured she'd be only be able to make most of it up on the spot in accordance to her parents reactions. She kept her head down so that her father wouldn't see her face and figure out she was up to something. She wished that her mother would hurry up and re-enter the room. Almost as if she had a fairy godmother reading her thoughts, which in Storybrooke wouldn't be that unusual, her mom walked in.

*OUAT*

Mary Margret was slightly surprised, when she walked in, to see Emma awake. She had watched Emma as she slept restlessly for the past couple of hours, both she and David sat in relative silence watching their daughter's chest rise and fall took quickly and too shallowly, the machines beeping quietly, and nurses come in and out every half hour to take Emma's vitals. Although Ruby, and by extension Granny, had volunteered to look after Neal she had asked for Mary Margret to let her know how her would-have-been goddaughter was when she had the chance. She had gone to text Ruby only to find her phone was dead, she put it on charge and stepped out the room for ten minutes to the payphone.

She watched as Emma's head shot up and gave her a small smile, however Mary Margret couldn't help but notice how her husband was stood protectively next to the bed with his arms crossed, a frown on his face, as though he was waiting for Emma to do something.  
"Hey Emma," she smiled softly "how are you feeling?" She gained a small smile and nod, as though to say she was fine, from Emma in return who then looked back down at her sheets.

Unbeknown to their daughter as she put her head down her parents heads went up and they looked to each other. In a fluid movement they both tilted their heads, Mary Margret pursed her lips, and David raised his eyebrows. They were now definitely aware that their daughter was up to something, it took only a look to each other for them to go through the possibilities it could be, until they struck gold.

Emma plastered an impressively convincing looking smile onto her face before she looked up. She swallowed twice to try and lubricate her throat yet she still sounded hoarse as she spoke. "I'm feeling, a lot better now. You two can go home. I'll discharge myself. I'll meet you back home." Despite intentionally speaking in short sentences she was still breathless by the time she finished speaking, however she smiled proudly having thought she managed to hide it well. There was no way they were going to be able to argue with her points-

"Absolutely not."  
"No chance in hell."  
Mary Margret and David said at the same time, their tone was united and firm which was paired with no nonsense looks on their faces.

Emma felt her mouth fall open, aghast, she was completely bewildered why her argument hadn't work, she look back and forth between her parents. She knew she should just leave it, that she should stay quiet and think of another way out. "B-Bu-"she stuttered, unable to let it drop.

"No, Emma." David's voice was sterner than Emma had ever heard it. He watched as Emma sank down in the bed, although he could see a hint of fear in her eyes he could also see her determination to get out of the hospital. He placed his hands on his hips looking and waited for her to look back at him before he began again. "You are nowhere near better. This is the first time you've managed to wake up for longer than five minutes, you can't even get to the end of your sentences without running out of breath, and you're still attached to machines giving you medicine and keeping you breathing. You will stay here until you're better and you will not be trying to find a doctor or nurse who you can pressure into releasing you."

Emma frowned as she looked down, she couldn't help but be embarrassed at her father reprimanding her as though she was a little kid, after all he was normally the one who would convince her to see it from their point of view, and the one who was willing to compromise. So to now have him lecture her was just downright confusing.

"And we're both staying with you tonight. No objections." Mary Margret added firmly, she watched as Emma furrowed her brows, no longer bothering to hide her confusion at her parent's concern. "Ruby is looking after Neal tonight and Henry's at Regina's. If you're in for longer, which Emma you _might_ be, you father and I shall take it in turns to stay with you. We're not going to make you stay here by yourself, no matter your age you're our child; we wouldn't make Neal stay here alone, we're not going to make you stay here by yourself either. We're not leaving you." She explained softly, she took her eyes off Emma to share a loving smile with David, both of them full of love and worry for their daughter.

Emma felt tears sting her eyes but looked down before her parents could notice them. She couldn't help but remember all the times she had stayed in hospital alone, with only social workers visiting her for an hour or so in the day. She supposed that some foster parents must have stayed in hospital with their wards, but that was never her experience. In most cases that was when they'd hand her off to social services, they hadn't wanted to deal with a kid who kept getting sick. The only time anyone had stayed in with her overnight she was handcuffed to a bed, and the person was paid to make she didn't run away, and to escort her back to prison the next day. "I'm fine." She muttered to herself in empty protest, not meaning for her parents to hear.

"You are not fine, Emma." Mary Margret insisted sternly, she knew that Emma had simply argued that in order to keep up her not-needing-anyone façade. However she couldn't shake the fear she had when she had come to the hospital, to see her daughter as pale as a ghost, with wires attached to her, and a mask over her face. But most of all, to see her husband sat there helpless, he was her beacon of hope, the Prince of action unable to help. "And just when, _exactly_ , were you planning of telling us that you have asthma?" She nodded at David, implying that he should take over, as she knew he needed the opportunity to talk to Emma about it.

Emma's eyes opened as wide as they could go, she hadn't realised that they had been told that. "Erm… I… I don't…" She tried to lie, however she was fully aware she looked like a kid who got caught with their hand in the cookie jar.

"Do not lie to us, Emma Swan." David injected sharply. "You lived with your mother for about a year before the curse broke, you could have told her then, but you didn't. In fact, I'm willing to bet that's the reason you didn't let her go into the doctor's office with you- so that you could hide it-"

"But I didn't-!"

"I am not finished." He looked at her with disapproval. "As I was saying, we're willing to overlook that, despite how unsafe it was, because you didn't know who your mother and I were, and you definitely didn't trust us properly then. However when the curse had broken you still didn't tell us, you were living with us both and working with me, you trust us both now, yet you still actively chose to ignore it and not tell us. Throughout all of this you left a critical, _life threatening_ illness untreated. What if you had had an asthma attack in the Enchanted Forest, or in Neverland? Or even while we were chasing a perp, what would you have done? Because I know for certain that you don't carry any inhalers, and your mother's never even seen any around the loft. We're very disappointed in you, Emma, this was very foolish."  
He paused as he watched his lecture sink in, Emma's face turned a mixture of guilty and sad. He knew he was being hard on her, but this was what needed to be said, so he would say it.  
"You also hid you cough for the past few weeks, we could have got you over the counter cough medicine, but by ignoring it you let it turn into a chest infection, which has quickly turned into pneumonia." He sighed as he sat down on the side of her bed. "Your oxygen was so low when I brought you in, Em. We can't lose you kiddo." He gently pressed a kiss on her temple and went to stand up.

When he tried to move, however, he felt Emma's hands latch onto his shirt, she had used him to pull herself up a little bit so that she could bury her head in her dad's chest. He quickly at back down, one of his hands cradled her head while the other rubbed circles onto her back. He could feel her body shaking with sobs, his body acted on habit as he gently rocked her back and forth as he normally did with his younger child as he hoped to calm her down and not aggravate her breathing. Eventually, he felt her lean fully against him and her breathing was no longer as erratic. David gently laid his daughter against the back of her hospital bed.

Emma's eyes fluttered open as her head touched the bed, "I'm sorry." She muttered.

David smiled gently as he wiped the tear tracks on her cheeks away. He moved towards the middle of the bed as Mary Margret came around to the same side, he watched as she changed the oxygen flow so that it would go through the mask instead of the nasal cannula.

Mary Margret smiled down at Emma as she took the pipes out of her nose. "It's okay baby, we forgive you. I'm going to put this mask on you so that you can breathe easier during the night." She gently place the strap around the back of Emma's head. "You can go to sleep, we're here, mom and dad are here." She brushed a golden curl out of her daughters face as she spoke softly letting her words drifts her daughter off to sleep.

She looked to her husband to see that Emma was holding his hand in her sleep, but when her eyes reached his face, she could see the guilt in it. Mary Margret gently took his other hand. "She needed to hear that, I don't think she'd ever realised how dangerous it is. You're an amazing father."

David gently kissed the top of Mary Margret's head. "You're an amazing mother too."

Eventually David and Mary Margret sat on either side of Emma's bed, dozing in and out of sleep in the uncomfortable hospital chairs, they were woken up by nurses coming in and out and by their worry for their daughter's health.


	5. Chapter 5

When Emma heard her parents talking quietly, she rubbed her eyes open. They were still heavy with sleep, but she figured it was probably morning time, and she wanted to get up and out of the hospital as soon as possible.

"Morning kiddo." David said through a chuckle, he could tell from how his daughter's eyes kept falling shut that she was only awake through pure stubbornness. He shared a smile with his wife when Emma turned her head to the side they were both sitting on, they watched as a small smile came upon her face when she realised that they had both stayed there all night as they had promised.

"Mornin'" she mumbled through her mask before she pulled it off, she glared at it, almost subconsciously, only realising she did so when her dad started to chuckle again. She looked up at her parents with a sheepish smile.

"Good morning Emma." Mary Margret smiled down at her, she reached behind the bed to get the nasal cannula again. She heard Emma groan as she saw the contraption. "Emma, you need to wear this to help you breathe, this is non-negotiable." She kept her voice soft however there was a no nonsense look on her face which forced Emma to comply. "You can go back to sleep for a little while if you want, we'll wake you up when Doctor Whale's here." She said quietly as she stroked some hair away from Emma's face, she could still feel the heat radiating off of Emma and could see how pale her face was. She couldn't help but also realise that Emma looked to be in pain, even though she was attempting to hide it.

Emma shook her head fiercely. "No, I want to be awake before he gets here, so I'm ready to go home." Even being inside of the hospital made her feel nervous, too many bad memories were playing on her mind not only did she not want to be there she definitely did not want to fall back asleep- where she could not see her parents and draw courage from them.

David and Mary Margret shared a silent conversation as David perched on the side of Emma's bed near her knee. He placed one hand on his daughter's knee to draw her attention to him. "Em, Doctor Whale won't be discharging you today, you know that right?"

"What! But- "Emma started in a loud and distressed voice.

"Emma, we know you don't want to be in here, we don't want you to be either." She laid a hand on her daughter's shoulder, the gentleness of her action mirrored her tone of voice. "But you have to stay here until Doctor Whale says that you're well enough to go, I'm sorry honey but that's just the way it is."

David watched as Emma nodded her head sadly, he couldn't help but to be in awe of what a natural mother she was to both Neal and Emma. She had endless patients with both and always seemed to know exactly what to do or say to get them round to her way of thinking. He had known that she was apprehensive both times that she was pregnant, and when they had found Emma again, over her ability to be a mother, having lost hers at such a young age yet that hadn't appeared to hindered her and he could think of no one better to be the mother to his children. He could, however, see a pout starting to develop on Emma's face, she was clearly still tired and that wasn't helping with her mood. David picked up a piece of paper the nurse had left on Emma's end table earlier. "Hey look," he smiled at her in a slightly teasing tone, "they've given you the five-star treatment! You get to choose what you're having to eat for what meals."

Mary Margret watched as Emma looked deeply unimpressed yet a small smile still appeared on her face at her father's attempt to cheer her up. She shared a smile with her husband to get him to switch places with her. She watched as David helped Emma choose which food was nicest, having already been informed on this from his stay in the hospital. She glanced at the clock on the right wall, she knew that Doctor Whale should be on his rounds and checking up on Emma within the hour. She knew from talking to David and the nurses that Emma had mild pneumonia, but as Whale had gone home shortly after starting Emma on her treatment, she was assured that when he came to visit Emma that he would give them a complete plan of Emma's treatment and how long she would be in there for. Before Emma had woke up David and herself had been trying to work out a schedule for making sure that meant they wouldn't change Neal's schedule too much, but also so there was always one of them with Emma. Normally Mary Margret worked Monday through to Wednesday and Neal would be looked after by Granny or Belle, as Emma had come in on the Sunday night his schedule wouldn't be too affected just yet. David had called Prince Fredrick and Prince Thomas to ask if they'd be able to cover Emma and himself while she was off ill, they had both immediately accepted and knew what different procedures to carry out after covering for the two sheriffs whenever there was a town incident. Mary Margret got lost in her thoughts both the ones worrying about Emma, and attempting to organise anything she needed to sort out.

"Em," David sighed "you need to pick something to eat for lunch."

"Why? I already picked breakfast and dinner. I don't need lunch as well." Emma whined breathlessly.

Mary Margret was brought out of her thoughts when she heard her family's discussion, she frowned at her daughter worriedly, Emma turning down food when offered was highly unusual.

"Emma, you do need to eat at least three meals a day. Is the medicine making you feel sick, or do you just not have an appetite?" David asked softly.

"No." Emma scoffed "The options look crap."

Mary Margret and David shared a frown. Although Emma didn't avoid eating, in fact when something was placed in front of her she often finished it rather quickly, but when she was busy with work, or being 'The Saviour', she would often forget to eat or insist she would do it later. It worried Mary Margret and David to no end and seemed, to them at least, to be a constant battle. David raised an eyebrow and tilted his head slightly and she nodded back in agreement with his idea.

"Okay Emma, you have to order something-" Emma's mouth shot open to argue and he held a hand up to stop her. "I'm not finished. You order whichever you're most likely to eat here, and your mom or I will get you something else to eat as well, just in case you're not feeling up for eating the other thing."

Emma looked from her father to her mother, she took in their tired faces and realised that this was probably the compromise she could hope for. "Okay." She sighed. She rolled her eyes when she saw the pride on David's face when she picked out a sandwich and a yoghurt. She leant back against her bed and struggled to keep her eyes open as she only half listened to her parent's talking to each other. She jumped forward when she heard the door swing open.

"It's okay kiddo." David soothed quietly so only Emma could hear him. He crossed his arms over his chest and gave a curt nod "Whale." He heard a small giggle escape from Emma, and a disproving look from his wife before he realised that he was glaring at the doctor. He sent a sheepish look to his wife.

Mary Margret rolled her eyes at David, then stood with her back to him, facing the Doctor. "Good morning Doctor Whale. How's Emma doing?"

Whale couldn't help but smirk at Mary Margret's poor attempt to control her husband, and from the looks of it, Emma wasn't too happy to see him there either. "Charmings." He mocked while he picked up Emma's chart to quickly look through at the night nurse's comments. He placed it back at the end of her bed before giving a kind smile. "Emma has a form of bacterial pneumonia, it probably evolved from a chest infection and has only been getting worse since. It aggravated her asthma which put her in the dangerous position she was in last night." He paused to look at Emma. "I cannot stress how important it is that you have prescriptions for your inhalers, and that you get checked out when you're ill." He watched as Emma slid down the bed with a guilty expression on her face. He could see both David and Mary Margret staring at her, giving her disproving looks. "We'll continue giving her antibiotics and steroid intravenously, we're also giving her fluids to keep her hydrated, and we'll give her some ibuprofen tablets to manage the pain she's in and her high temperature. I'll have the nurses change their observations to once an hour instead of twice, but we'll have to up that if her oxygen levels get worse."

"I am right here, you know." Emma muttered, she was deeply unamused at being spoken about instead of to.

"Hush." Mary Margret silenced her and gave her a look tell her that she was being rude and to stop.

"How long will she be in here for?" David questioned as he squeezed Emma's shoulder slightly to keep her quiet as he moved the conversation along. He looked down quickly after asking it to see Emma was glaring at the smirking doctor, David couldn't help but feel proud of her for doing so.

Whale, however, was not deterred from his smirking. "About four or five days, after which we'll change her to be on antibiotics and steroids orally at home for another week or so."

"What?! Four days?!" Emma exclaimed.

"Emma." David said sternly, he wasn't a fan of Whale but getting worked up wouldn't help her, he gently but firmly pulled her shoulder so she was resting against the upright head of the bed. "How long after she finishes taking them will it be until she's able to go back to work?" he asked, he knew that if he didn't ask then he'd forget and he also knew that Emma would be trying to do so straight away.

"She'll be really weak for a while after this, I would say she should take at least a month off from the time she finishes her antibiotics before she even considers going back. Not only will she still feel really ill, her immune system won't be back in working order, I wouldn't want for her to have another asthma attack."

David grimaced slightly, he wasn't looking forward to having to force Emma to stay home, but he knew it would be for the best. "Thank you Whale."

"No problem, it is my job after all. If you have no more questions, I'll take Emma's observations and listen to her lungs, then I'll let you rest."

Emma was uncharacteristically quiet, but both David and Mary Margret shook their heads and moved out the way so that the Doctor could take a look at Emma.


	6. Chapter 6

Whilst Whale was checking her over, Emma formulated a plan, there was no way she was staying in the hospital for another moment. She allowed her eyes to fall shut and willed her body to look as though it was sleeping. Any tiredness she had been experiencing earlier had diminished and been replaced with her complete fear and dread of staying in the hospital. She knew that if she had any chance she had of escaping she would have to convince her parents that she was asleep so that they might eventually stop hover-parenting. Ten minutes later she was rewarded by her parent's hushed voices.

"Looks like she's finally drifted off." Emma could almost hear the smile in her dad's voice.

"That doesn't surprise me, she looks completely exhausted, not that she'll ever admit it." Mary Margret replied fondly.

"Hmm." David hummed in agreement. "Now, who does that stubbornness remind me of?"

"Perhaps yourself!" Emma forced herself not to smile at the defensiveness in her mother's tone. "I seem to remember you once deciding to lead some knights on the hunt for a murderer who was running errant in the kingdom with the flu. Didn't you end up falling off your horse and getting a concussion?" she said good naturedly.

"I did, but at least I caught the murderer first. And you're just as stubborn as I am." He smirked "Although our daughter is worse than either of us, so I guess she got a double hit."

"You can say that again. You know she takes after her daddy though?" Emma inwardly cringed at her mother's word choice, she wasn't five!

"How so?"

"She couldn't stop glaring at Whale either."

David chuckled "Well, what can I say? She's a daddy's girl. I did tell you she would be!"

Emma held back a sigh wishing that her parents would stop talking about her, although she was sure that that anecdote about her father would come in useful. She heard her breakfast being brought in, however eating was the furthest thing from her mind, she just wanted to get home and sleep. She heard her parents thank the nurse and quietly debate 'waking her up' before they decided to leave her for the time being, which she was thankful for because that would have majorly screwed up her plan.

"I'm going to take a quick shower here to freshen up a bit before I pop home, I only brought something for Emma to wear on the way home. And I'll bring her in some toiletries and things to keep her occupied."

"That's a good idea, I'll go grab us both some breakfast from the canteen, unless you'd rather I wait until you're back?" Emma could hear the worry in David's voice and felt guilty momentarily.

"No it's okay, she's flat out, I doubt she'll wake up for a few hours. How much trouble could she get up to?" Mary Margret paused and Emma felt her stroke a piece of her hair off of her face. "You still want to take the night shift with her?"

Emma kept her face passive despite the confusion she felt. What was her mother talking about, the night shift? Why wouldn't she be able to work at the station at nights?

"Yeah, you stay with Neal tonight, I'll watch him tomorrow night."

She could have kicked herself for being so stupid, of course that's what they were talking about. Not that they needed to bother, by the time night fell she would be home, and they wouldn't be having to stress about her. She felt her mother softly caress her cheek before she left the room. 'One down, one to go' Emma thought. Less than a minute later Emma felt her father gently press his lips to her forehead.

"I'll be back soon princess." He whispered before he too walked out of the room.

*OUAT*

Emma waited for a couple of beats before she opened her eyes. She smiled mischievously before she started the first phase of her plan.

She carefully reached up to the machine which was monitoring her oxygen and turned the volume to silent before she removed the clip from her finger, she felt her chest hurt with every movement but she carried on. She debated for a second which to do next, her I.V or oxygen, before she decided it'd be easier to rip out her I.V while her breathing was still getting help. She bit her lip as she pulled the needle out of her arm to stop her from reacting to the pain and drawing attention from the nurses. As soon as it was out of her arm she started to bleed, she wiped away some blood from her arm then unhooked the oxygen from her nose. She pushed herself to the floor, she scrunched her eyes shut when a wave of dizziness passed over her. When she opened her eyes again she realised she was in a pair of hospital pyjamas, obviously either her mom or a nurse had changed her into them the previous night, however she wasn't sure which option was worse.

Her next attempt was more successful, she made it to the wall where she leant hidden from the view of the nurses through the window. The next bit, she realised, would be the hardest. She knew that her room was at the far end of the hospital, not only would she have to get past the family room on her ward without her mother noticing her, and all the way past the canteen without bumping into her father. Not to mention she'd have to walk the entire way. She scoffed quietly at herself, "Or I could use my magic" she smirked.

She clenched her fists and shut her eyes, she thought of the smell of her mother's perfume which always seemed to be mixed around with the freshness of the outdoors, her brother's toys scattered across the floor of the loft, Henry's homework left on the kitchen table on purpose while he was at Regina's, the smell of feel of her father's shirts she was forever stealing when she was cold. She couldn't help but to feel slightly emotional, she just wanted to be at home, with her parents, watching a film under about a million blankets. She shivered slightly as she poof-ed out of her room, leaving only her blood spotted sheets and a cloud of coloured smoke behind.

*OUAT*

David stood at the till in the canteen paying for his and his breakfast, one of the nurses, Melinda, from Emma's ward was stood behind him and had been giving him information on asthma which he greatly appreciated. He couldn't help but feel completely out of his depth. He understood, to an extent, why Emma hadn't told them, she didn't want them to have to feel worried. Yet he also knew that if he and Mary Margret had known they would have been able to try and prevent it from getting this far. He also knew they hadn't been told as Emma had been worried about their reactions, that on some deep set level she couldn't fully trust them, or anyone, at least not yet. He put his change in his pocket and was about to pick up the bag which held the Styrofoam containers when he felt the hairs on his arms stand on edge.

Suddenly somebody appeared next to him, before he could discern who the person was they fell into him, he automatically caught them before they fell to the floor. "Emma!" he cried alarmed, he moved one of his arms under her legs and smoothly picked her up he took in her scrunched up eyes and willed her to open them and explain how she got there.

Emma looked up at her father and frowned "Dad?", she couldn't understand why her dad was back at the loft. Unless…. She looked around cautiously. "Crap."

"Yeah, 'crap'. Did you magic yourself here?" he had to count to three in his head as he watched Emma reluctantly nod her head. She was paler than she was when he last saw her, her breathing was clearly laboured and painful, and she was shaking in his arms. "Okay, you can explain to your mother and I about that later, right now we need to get you back to your room." He noticed the nurse who was stood behind him pick up his food and follow him as he raced back to Emma's room, his heart pounding with worry and frustration.

"I can walk." Emma protested from her father's arms as walked through the hospital, she could feel her face redden as she saw people looking at her.

"Emma Ruth, that is enough. I don't want to hear another word out of you until we're back in your room."

Emma wanted to use her magic right there and then to get out of her father's arms and go somewhere people wouldn't find her. She had really messed up, surely her father wouldn't want to deal with her anymore, or her mother. Her head was already spinning, her chest ached as though it was punishing her for her stupidity, and she felt just as cold as she had when she was once stuck in an ice cave. But the thing that stopped her from attempting it was that it hadn't worked the first time, for whatever reason her magic had failed and that terrified her. What if she tried to poof away and she hurt someone? What if she hurt her father?

*OUAT*

As David reached the ward he almost ran into his wife, who was rushing out, her hair was still wet from her shower and starting to curl slightly.

"David! Emma's go- Oh!" she stopped as she realised her daughter was in his arms. "Emma!" she brushed her hand against her daughter's cheek, almost as if she were checking to see that she was real. "David where was she? What happened?"

"I'm not sure, she just appeared next to me in the canteen. Let's get her back to her room." He gave her a tight smile and walked fast back to Emma's room.

When he got in there he saw one of the trainee nurses finishing off changing Emma's bed sheets, a pool of scarlet against the starched white sheets forced his head to fall down to look at his daughter, his eyes automatically searched for the source of the blood. He quickly found the spot where her I.V had been, was still bleeding. The nurse finished up the bed and he gently laid her down, her eyes were closed and her body rigid, she clearly would rather be anywhere than where she was right that second. Two senior nurses worked quickly to set the oxygen mask on Emma again, one of them told the Charming's how high it had to be before they could try the cannula again, although they both did the same job the mask worked quicker. While the nurse was speaking to them and placing a Band-Aid on her arm, the other put the I.V into a vein on the back of Emma's hand. She made sure to wrap it up in bandages to ensure that Emma wouldn't be able to interfere with it.

David watched as the two nurses finished reattaching Emma to the machines, waited a few moments then started to do observations.

"Her oxygens starting to go back up, she will be okay so long as she stays in her bed." The nurse, May, smiled at Mary Margret and David.

"We assure you she will, one of us will be here with her at all times." Mary Margret didn't bother to take her eyes off of her daughter as she spoke to the nurse.

*OUAT*

David and Mary Margret stood staring at their daughter and watched as her oxygen slowly went up. although they were silent they looked at one another deciding, through a silent conversation, which one of them was going to lead on this talk, and both conferring their suspicions as to what happened. Eventually Emma's oxygen reached a level where she could have the nasal cannula, yet she still kept her eyes closed and didn't protest having the mask on. For a second her parent's thought she might have fallen asleep however they quickly became aware that she was merely feigning it.

"Emma. We know that you're not asleep. Open your eyes so we can talk, please." Mary Margret's voice was quiet but commanding, she could still feel her heart pounding in her chest. She couldn't describe the fear she had felt when she reached the room to find her daughter missing and blood on her sheets. She was petrified that she had lost her daughter again, only to bump into her husband and daughter when she went to collect her husband so they could find her.

Emma slowly opened her eyes, she hastened a look towards her parents but quickly looked down again, she felt her mother take the oxygen mask from her face, she had to look at her mother when the tubes were placed back onto her face, but she stared instead at her lips studying the almost invisible grooves just to avoid looking into the green eyes. Once the tubes were in place, she concentrated on staring at the bandages wrapped around her hand. She felt the bed dip down on either side of her as her parents sat.

"Emma. Look at me please." David watched as Emma flinched at the softness in his voice, he shared a troubled look with his wife. When Emma did look up he could see the guilt and fear on her face, her eyes were rimmed with red, tears threatened to fall, and her lip trembled. A tear dropped onto the sheets, he didn't make her look up again but he took her hand, he stroked soothing circles onto the bandage. "I'm sorry if I scared you by shouting before, kiddo." He watched Emma nod her head to show she heard him, however she didn't look up. "Did you magic yourself to the canteen on purpose, Emma?"

Mary Margret watched as Emma simply shrugged. "Emma you need to _actually talk_ to us."

Emma sighed and wiped her eyes with one hand, leaving the other hand in her father's grasp, before she looked up. "I didn't mean to go to the canteen."

"But you did mean to magic yourself somewhere, didn't you?"

Emma heard the sound of knowing in her mother's voice and wondered for the billionth time if her parents were somehow psychic, they always managed to read her like a book and she wasn't sure if she appreciated it or not. "I wanted to go home." Even she could hear the whine in her voice, but hoped that it would work to her advantage.

"Well, you aren't going home right now, especially not after that stunt you just pulled." David sighed. "Emma we know you don't want to stay here but you _need_ to get better. Is there a particular reason why you don't want to stay here, Em?"

"I just don't want to be here." Emma mumbled, she looked down again so that they wouldn't be able to see her face.

Mary Margret shared another look with David, they both knew that there was more to it than that. "Sweetheart, we can't help you if we don't know what's wrong. What's making you feel like endangering your health would be a better idea than staying here?" She stroked Emma's cheek with the back of her fingers only to feel the heat beneath her skin. She mentally added asking the nurses to give Emma some paracetamol to her to do list.

Emma shook her head adamantly.

David sighed and shook his head again. "Okay, but we'll be here when you're ready to tell us, Em. And Emma, because you did endanger yourself, we can't trust you to be on your own just now, one of us will be with you at all times."

"I'm not going to do it again!" Emma protested, she could help but to feel guilty that she was taking even more time away from them that they could have been using to spend with Neal.

"You're right, you're not," Mary Margret said evenly, "because if you did we would have Regina put a cuff on you to stop you from doing magic." Emma's mouth fell open and Mary Margret held up a hand to hush her. "Emma we wouldn't want to do it as we know the cuff makes you very tired, and we don't want to take away from you something that is innate and makes you, _you_. But if that's the only way to temporarily stop you from doing things like this, that's what we'll do."

"Anyway, kiddo, we weren't planning on leaving you for long amounts of time just now." David smiled at her, he gently wiped a dried tear from Emma's face.

*OUAT*

Emma fell asleep quickly after she took her medicine and ate a few spoons of cereal. David and Mary Margret sat at a small table at the side of the room eating their own slightly cold breakfasts. David took the rubbish and threw it into the trash can outside of the room.

"You know there's more to her hatred of hospitals than she's saying, right?" he asked as he quirked an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I'm just not sure why exactly. We'll figure it out, we always do." She smiled, she could tell that he was worried, after all she was too, but she couldn't help but think that it was cute how good a father he was. "You should catch up on some sleep while I'm here this afternoon, you slept even less than I did last night." She lightly rubbed his back.

David leant forward and pressed his lips to his wife's, he kissed her softly, and took his time to pull away. "I'll be okay, I'm going to pop into the station, I know that the guys can handle it, but I want to talk to them about a couple of things. I might grab a few files to work on too." He watched as Mary Margret shook her head slight, he knew she thought he and Emma were alike in their dedication to their sheriff duties. "I'm going to spend some time with Neal as well, it must be weird for him not having one of us around. Oh! Can you ask Regina if she can give the school permission for me to take Henry out at lunchtime? I'll tell him about his mom then."

"Yeah of course, you know Regina would agree even if you asked her, right?" she giggled.

"She likes you better though, she'd probably make some quip about me destroying my grandson's brain cells, or something, if I asked her." He smirked back.

*OUAT*

Emma woke up not long after her mother left to go sort some things out back at the loft. To say she had woken up on the wrong side of the bed was an understatement. She had already begged her father to convince Whale to discharge her twice before he told her to drop it; although he had to admit Emma's idea of 'persuading', using his fist, was kind of tempting. He looked up from texting his wife, to let her know Emma was awake and asking her to bring their daughter some lunch, to see Emma still sulkily staring at her sheets.

"Come on, Em, you can't sit there sulking all day. I know it sucks that you'll be in here for a few days, but it'll just make it feel longer if you just dwell on it. When you're home and you've kicked this pneumonia on its ass," he smirked, "we'll make sure you have better control over your asthma, that way you'll be less likely to end up back here."

"I have pretty good control over it, it's not as bad as it used to be."

David took a seat on the side of Emma's bed. "Did you used to have a lot of asthma attacks when you were little?"

"Yeah, I used to get ill a lot too. I used to try use it to my advantage though. When me and some other kids would play tag I couldn't run very fast in case I set one off, so I'd pretend to have one. When some kids would rush over to see how I was, I'd tag them." She smiled as he dad laughed. "It's still four days though." Emma complained with a frown before she shivered again.

David automatically took his shirt off and helped Emma into it, he couldn't help but smile as she snuggled down into it unknowingly. "I know, trouble," he brushed a strand of hair out of her face, and watched her eyes drift shut yet again, "your mom will be back soon with some things for you, while I go to work for a little while, then I'll be back tonight to hang out with you, okay?"

"It feels more like you're babysitting me. At least you get to go to work." Emma huffed.

"I can bring you back some paper work if you want to do some work so much." His eyes twinkled with mischief but he managed to keep his voice serious.

"Ew! No!" Emma added quickly.

*OUAT*

"Here Emma, let's get you changed into your own clothes, then you can have your lunch."

"Mom! I'm not five, I can get dressed by myself!" Emma crossed her arms and scowled at her mother.

Mary Margret did the same from where she stood, the mirrored image of the battle of wills. "Emma. I gave birth to you," she rolled her eyes as Emma's face turned to one of disgust, "let me help you get changed. You're connected to about a million machines, it's okay to accept help. It's either I help you or a nurse does."

Emma stayed staring at her mother, she wanted to know how far she could push it before she would react.

Mary Margret noticed the look in Emma's eye and the mother and teacher in her acted in instinct. "Five… Four… Three… Tw- "

"Okay, okay! You can help." Emma wasn't sure why the counting down worked on children, which was why she was absolutely clueless as to why it worked on her, but she knew it was for the best to accept her mother's help.

"Okay what do I get for lunch then?" Emma asked out of breath after she got back into bed.

"Granny made you some nice vegetable soup, it'll feel good on your throat." She smiled back warmly, she had noticed how Emma winced every time she drank something, although her daughter probably thought she was hiding it well.

"The soup's good, but it's really healthy." Emma pouted.

Mary Margret let out a soft laugh at her daughter's dramatics over her sweet tooth, although, deep down, she thought it was slightly endearing. She was sure her daughter would have been the same even if she and David had raised her, especially if it had been in this world, she was balled over by her own love for her daughter. This feeling was only increased by the clothes Emma was wearing.  
When Mary Margret had gone to find some things she could sleep in she had discovered that Emma had managed to obtain a few things from both of her parent's wardrobes. She had discovered a few of David's t-shirts and henley style tops that he assumed he had lost somehow. She had also found an entire draw full of her own slipper socks which had been disappearing since Emma had first moved in with her. She figured Emma probably drew some comfort from having things of her parents. She had grabbed a few of the warmer tops, a couple of pairs of sweatpants and some of the socks, which Emma was now wearing.  
"Hmm, how about you get a cookie when you've finished it?" She bargained.

"Sold." Emma replied quickly, she shot her mother a charming smile she had inherited from her father. She wasn't feeling overly hungry but the promise of the cookie made her finished most of her soup, she had forgotten about the cookie by the time this happened though as she pushed her soup bowl away from her and leant back against the bed, her eyes fluttered shut.

*OUAT*

"Mom, please could you ask Whale to let me go home earlier, even if I have to wait until tomorrow! Please." Emma begged.

Mary Margret sighed and closed the book she was reading; she was beginning to lose patience with Emma's persistent asking. "Emma, for the fifth time, I will not ask him. You're very ill and need to be in here, you have steroids and antibiotics being pumped into you, you still have to have oxygen, you are ill. I don't want you to be in here either, but you have to be and just constantly asking is going to make it feel longer." She watched as Emma's face fell, defeated. "Do you want to talk about why you don't want to be here?"

Emma shook her head.

Mary Margret moved to sit next to Emma's knee. "Okay, but that not the only thing that's worrying you, is it?"

Emma took a breath in, she looked down at the game boy her mom had brought in for her, although it was off she still fiddled with the buttons. She felt the gentle weight of her mother's hand on her knee, and looked up to see an encouraging smile. "When I tried to magic out of here, I meant to go back home, but it sent me to the canteen instead… Mom, what if…. I think my magic might be broken!"

"Emma, take a breath for me a minute, you're working yourself up." Mary Margret soothed, she waited until her daughter calmed down slightly then took hold of her hand. "Sweetheart, your magic is linked to your emotions, so what were you thinking of to get there?"

"I was thinking of home." Emma said confused, but she saw that her mother wanted her to elaborate. "I was thinking of the loft, like Henry leaving his homework on purpose, how it smells of your perfume and the woods, and Neal's toys almost causing me to break my neck…"

"And something about your father?" Her mother finished and gave a smile, Emma's response had confirmed her earlier theory. "You were focusing on home, yes, but for you home isn't a certain place, it's who you're with. For whatever reason, you don't feel safe here. So your magic took you to your dad, because you know he'll always protect you." She watched Emma look confused as she contemplated this theory.

"I feel safe with you too, mom." Emma said a few moments later with a small smile.

"I know you do sweetie, but even your magic thinks you need to stay here, so stop asking me to try get you out." She replied pointedly.

Emma nodded to show she understood what her mother was saying, however made sure not to verbally agree to it. "Hey mom?" she asked hesitantly "Would you watch some T.V with me? It's okay if you don't wa- "

"Of course I want to watch something with you." Mary Margret smiled as Emma moved over to one side of the bed, telling her mother without words that she wanted her mother to sit next to her. She couldn't help but feel assured to see that the side rail of the bed was pulled up on the side Emma was sat, not that she would need it, as soon as she settled down Emma moved as close to her as possible. She passed the control to her daughter to turn on the over-bed television.

"Yes!" Emma whispered in a victorious sounding voice, she saw her mother looking at her confused. "I love these movies." She admitted.

"I can see why: magic, adventure, danger, friends and family- they're good movies, I've watched them before. The books are good too, when you first came to town I started reading them to my class, I found them in one of the supply closets, I guess Regina's control already started to break down simply by you being here."

"Really? I've never read them; I keep meaning to but never get round to it. Plus, technically they're kids' books…"

Mary Margret could see her daughter's embarrassment about obviously wanting to read the series. "Just because someone once said they're for children doesn't mean they're right. After all, most of Storybrooke is made up of people from children's tales, you're the child of Prince 'Charming' and Snow White, that doesn't make our lives childish." She reasoned, she felt Emma snuggle even closer to her, so she placed an arm around her. She guessed that she would be asleep before the young wizard even reached Hogwarts.

*OUAT*

"See Neal? Here's mommy and Emmy."  
At the age of one Neal already had a head full of black curls; much like Emma, his hair was that of one of his parents, his eyes were of the opposite one, flecks of green however were woven into the blue. David had once joked that you could only see the green in them when Neal was having a tantrum. He had to do a lot of begging and make a lot of promises to Mary Margret in order to make up for that one. David placed a canvas bag down on the floor next to his wife's chair.

"Emmy's asleep right now." Mary Margret smiled at David using that nickname, he had started using it to encourage their son to try to say Emma's name, he had quickly noticed that he could wind Emma up by calling her it so had carried on past the time which Neal had learnt it. "Hello my baby! Were you a good boy for daddy today?" She smiled and gently took Neal from David's arms.

"Tag. My turn." David he joked before pressing a kiss to his wife's lips, his son copied him giving his mother kisses repeatedly. "How's our girl been?" he asked over Neal babbling to his wife.

"She fell asleep about half an hour ago. She's been feeling cold and weak, and her appetite's pretty much gone. Although if she's hungry later on, daddy's girl over there still has a cookie from lunch she didn't eat."

David gave her a confused look as he saw her eyes twinkle with mischief. "'Daddy's girl'?"

"Yeah, you win, she's a daddy's girl. I found out where all those shirts you 'lost' had gone, turns out your daughter took them."

"Hmm, I wonder where our daughter got being a thief from?" he joked.

Mary Margret gave him a fake glare "I had to survive somehow."

"Then how come you stole my heart too?" he added quickly with a smile.

"I see why I called you Charming now." She kissed him gently. "I also figured out why she appeared next to you in the canteen earlier." She went on to explain what she and her daughter had figured out. "So I'm pretty sure she won't try to use her magic again to get out of here."

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean she won't try to use other means to get out."

"Well yes, but let's give her the benefit of the doubt, for now." She saw him looking at Emma with a slightly lost expression, "Charming," she used his nickname to draw his attention to herself then gently took his hand, "she feels safe with her daddy." She assured him.

David brought their joined hands to his mouth and kissed the back of her palm. He quietly walked over to his daughter and pressed a light kiss on her forehead, she wrinkled her eyes slightly at the touch but did not wake. David moved to the end of her bed and picked up the chart which was hung at the end. The nurses' inscriptions told him that the medicine had started to work, however her oxygen was still much lower than they had wanted it to be, even if it was improving. He pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and his index finger. He felt a hand on his back, then another, much smaller, one hit his shoulder. "No hitting, buddy." He said turning around. He stared into his wife's eyes for a moment, he couldn't help but feel like she was reading his innermost thoughts.

"David, she'll get better, she'll be okay and home before no time. And when she is, we'll make sure we look after her and that she's managing her asthma, no matter how much she rolls her eyes at us. And don't blame yourself for her being ill now, she hid this from both of us, you couldn't have known."

"I know, you're right, of course you're right." He pecked her quickly on the lips then slipped Neal out from her arms. "We brought you some dinner, by the way, didn't we buddy? Oh and that book you asked me to bring?"

*OUAT*

Emma woke up and opened her eyes before she could fully panic about where she was. She immediately felt better to see her father in the chair next to her bed, frowning at something on his phone. There were already a couple of pillow and blankets on the sofa behind his chair ready for him to use that night, she looked around but saw no signs of her mother. She turned back to her father and noticed a familiar looking, and brightly coloured, book balanced precariously on the arm of the chair. "Are you reading Harry Potter?" she smirked.

"Hey there, sleeping beauty," he winked at her.

"I'm not sure Aurora would be too happy with you calling me that."

"Yeah, she probably wouldn't." David chuckled. "I was just about to start reading it yes. Your mom asked me to bring it, she said that you wanted to read it?"

Emma nodded and gave a sad smile, she couldn't help but to feel slightly sad that she was separated from one of her parents, especially when her mother kept showing that she was always thinking of her. But then she had been feeling like that all day while she was separated from her father.

"She said to say goodnight to you, she left about half an hour ago, we would have woken you up but you looked peaceful, kiddo." He smiled kindly, having basically read her mind. "Neal was here too, he wasn't too happy that his Emmy wasn't awake to play with him." He teased.

Emma gave a fake glare to her dad, but secretly she didn't mind having the nickname, she tried to reach for the cup of juice only to have her father pass it to her. She took a small sip before she passed it back to her father. "Wait, my chest barely hurts…" She frowned up at him, confused, but elated, by the sudden development.

"Whale decided it would be easier to give you painkillers through your I.V, than having to convince you to take them. He popped in before he went home." David shot her a sympathetic look, he hoped that he hadn't destroyed her hope that she'd get better. He was relieved to see her simply shrug it off. "Are you hungry? Your mother said you still have a cookie to eat."

She shook her head; she wasn't nearly hungry enough to eat. "Dad? Could you, maybe, read some of the book to me?" Emma asked timidly.

David beamed at his daughter. "I would love to, but first, let's switch your oxygen over to the mask: I can hear your breathing getting worse, kiddo." He was surprised to see Emma, for once, obey without a complaint or an eye roll. He sat down and started to read.


	7. Chapter 7

_Emma was starting to get used to waking up with the gentle beeping of machines, however when she opened her eyes and sat up the beeping stopped, in fact, there were no machines. She was still in a hospital room, but not hers. Everything in the room was starched white, almost blindingly so. The only thing in the room was the hospital bed: there were no windows, but on the wall opposite her were three doors. "Well, that's not creepy at all." She pushed herself to the floor and turned towards the doors, the floor was like a sheet of ice under her feet, she turned back to the bed to see if there were some shoes underneath it, only to find the bed gone. "Okay, this must be a dream... probably." She tried to reassure herself, but this room wouldn't exactly be the weirdest thing to happen in her life. She walked over to the doors. She almost expected her parents to walk through one of the doors at any moment and explain to her that she was better but they had to move her to a different room, in fact she_ wished _that would happen, yet as she waited she became aware that there was no noise other than her own breathing. She felt drawn to one of the doors, it creaked as she pushed it open. The only thing behind it was darkness, there was no shadows of objects, no noises, or smells, it was what Emma expected a black hole to be like. The darkness suddenly engulfed her, invisible roots pulled her through the door, which slammed shut behind her._

 _Emma wondered, briefly, if she were back in the Enchanted Forest- more specifically back up the beanstalk. The room in which she was suddenly cast into appeared to be a bedroom, however the flimsy metal bed with its slightly stained mattress didn't look quite big enough to be in the home of Anton and his kin. Perhaps, then, it was she who had changed, she looked down at her hands trying to discern some difference between the ones she usually saw, it took her a few seconds to realise that her flower tattoo was gone. Her eyes darted around the suddenly familiar room, with its cracked plaster walls, and threadbare carpet. A white blanket with a purple ribbon lay on the mattress. She walked towards the bed to grab her blanket, she didn't want it to be in this place,_ she _didn't ever want to be in this place. In her haste she forgot about the loose floorboards in the room and the interpretive dance you had to do to avoid them creaking.  
"What are you doing out of bed?" a voice screeched followed by the clicking of high heels ascending the stairs._

_Emma grabbed her blanket and dived under the bed, an old habit, but she knew she was only delaying the inevitable. Despite her thirty years she felt as though she were six again. Two stilettoed feet appeared, slowly, through the gap between the floor and the bed, so slow they could be mistaken for a predator stalking their prey- which Emma supposed was rather fitting. She pushed herself as far back as possible waiting to come in contact with the wall, she couldn't help but wish that her parents were there, which was the same wish she had made all those years before. She didn't, however, come into contact with the wall, she turned her head towards it, or at least where it should be. Instead of stopping at the wall, the wall the gap under the bed kept extending further and further. Emma crawled commando style through it, unable to bare another second in that room with that woman. She crawled for what was either seconds or hours in the pitch black. Her chest started to feel tight, whether it was because of claustrophobia or the panic from being in that room, she was not sure. She wished she could be anywhere else, preferably back in the loft with her family. "Where's this taking me? Narnia?" she grumbled quietly to herself unable to shake the sense of foreboding she felt. As soon as she spoke a door grew from the ground, identical to the one she had been dragged through in the first place... "No. No, no, no, no!"_

" _Emma!" A voice shook inside her head…_

*OUAT*

David had woken up to hear Emma's machines beeping like mad, he recognised the way she was turning her head from side to side as a sign of her having a nightmare. He tried to calm her down to no avail, he heard the nurses enter the room, their shoes clicking on the floor as they rushed in. It was then that Emma's magic acted, she put up a force field, which stopped the nurses being able to do anything other than heighten the oxygen pressure on the wall. For whatever reason, David was still able to touch her, he tried desperately to wake her up. Still asleep, she made a strangled whimper, he looked down so see a red burst of magic burning a spiral onto her skin. "EMMA!" he yelled fiercely as he shook her shoulder slightly. The red light disappeared, the force field fell, and he could see that she was starting to wake up.

"Emma, come on kiddo, wake up." David called as he watched her shoot her eyes open and jump slightly. "It's okay princess." He soothed, he knew that if she were fully awake she would have protested the nickname, especially in front of the nurses. When he looked down at her petrified face it took all he had not to pull her into his arms. Instead, he gently held her hand and muttered soothing words, hoping to keep her calm, while the nurses were finally able to their work. He watched as a nurse was finally able to take her temperature, the result of which had them shake their head and administer Emma more medicine through the I.V, another pressed a cold compress onto her head, Emma flinched at the contact. David nodded to the nurse, who passed him the compress, he smiled at his daughter, and gently put it on her head. He felt both proud and worried to see that the only person in the room Emma didn't seem scared of was himself.

The nebuliser treatment eventually started to work, her breathing eased slightly, yet Emma continued to cling onto his hand. He kept speaking soft assurances to her as she began to relax, however whatever her nightmare was about had left her terrified, her eyes were almost comically wide as she forced herself to stay awake, despite her clear exhaustion, he watched the nurse treat and gently wrap Emma's arm up. He wasn't sure if her magic had acted maliciously to her, or if it was trying to wake her up from her nightmare, but he couldn't let it hurt his daughter again if that meant having to out the magic cuff on her then so be it. One of the nurses, Claire he thought, brought him out of his head by kindly tapped his shoulder, and informed him that she'd be back in forty-five minutes to do her 'obs' again.

"Do you want to talk about your nightmare, kiddo?" David asked her quietly. He watched as she shook her head adamantly, "Are you sure? I think it'll help you." He felt helpless as he watched Emma shake her head again. She was normally hesitant to share the contents of her nightmares with them at first, but nine times out of ten she would do so the second time they asked. But this time she didn't want to talk and he couldn't even calm her down enough to sleep by making her some hot chocolate or by lighting a candle next to her bed. He watched her finally lean back against the bed, but he could see that she was still forcing herself to stay awake.

Emma lifted her hand up to pull the mask off of her face, she didn't want the sensation of it being on her skin to make her feel claustrophobic, she didn't want to feel anything relating to her dream. And she definitely didn't want to talk about it, she just wanted to forget it ever happened. She felt her father's hand carefully stop her from moving it.

"Sorry Em, you have to keep that on while it gives you your medicine, you can still speak to me through it if you want though." He smiled as she nodded. "It's late, kiddo, how about you get some more sleep?" he brushed his hand against the side of her cheek. Suddenly, she sat upright, he watched dumbstruck as she started to push the blankets back and start to climb out of bed. He placed his hand on her shoulder, stopping her from moving any further. "Emma, what are you doing?"

"I want to go home." She begged, slightly muffled by the mask. "I don't want to sleep." She could feel a tear roll down her cheek but hoped her father wouldn't see.

David brushed the tear away before it could hit the mask. "I know you do, kiddo, I'm sorry but you're still too poorly to go. I promise you that as soon as you're allowed to go, I'll take you straight home, I don't want you to be stuck in here anymore than you do." He sighed sympathetically. "If you're not sleeping, I won't either, how about I read some more of your book to you?" he watched her nod at him. "Emma, you're not allowed out of this bed, okay?" he figured that now, more than ever, she'd be planning an escape home, which worried him to no end.

"Okay." She said defeatedly, too exhausted to argue. She begrudgingly laid back, but then moved over to the side of the bed, she hoped her father would take the hint and sit on it next to her. At least then, if her eyes did happen to close, she would know where he was.

David grabbed the book and sat beside Emma, his shoulder gently bumped against hers as he did so. As he started to read he felt Emma move closer to him, he placed one of his arms around her not faltering in his reading as he did so. He knew from experience with his other child that sometimes his voice would send him gently to sleep, judging from how she had fallen asleep earlier on that night, Emma was the same, he only hoped that it would work this time too. Sure enough only five minutes later he felt her move her head to rest against his chest. He looked down to see her eyes shut and he lowered his voice to read a few more sentences. Once he was sure she was asleep he closed the book and dipped his hand into his pocket to retrieve his phone. He quickly fired off a text to his wife asking her to bring one of the cuffs with her in the morning, but assured her that he had everything 'under control' and he'd explain in person to her. He put his phone back in his pocket, his movement jostled Emma slight, who made a displeased grunt and moved closer to him. He smiled fondly down at her, he settled back against the bed, and rubbed pacifying circles on her back. Before he knew it, he too was falling asleep.

*OUAT*

When David woke up, several hours later, he was relieved to see Emma still asleep on his chest her hand wrapped tightly onto his shirt, he pressed a kiss onto his daughter's head. Still half asleep, he took his phone out of his pocket without even looking at the time, he had a text off of Mary Margret asking him, or rather demanding to be told, what had happened the previous night. He quickly fired off a text letting her know that Emma had a nightmare which caused her to use magic and she had worsened because of it. After he hit send he looked up to see Whale stood in the doorway smirking at the scene which lay before him. David quickly lifted a finger to his mouth and watched Whale quirk his head towards the door, indicating he'd talk to him outside. He smoothly moved Emma to lay back against the bed and pried her hand away from his shirt, before going to join the doctor in the hallway.

David's eyes caught sight of the clock and did a double take, it was later than he expected, he realised that his wife would be arriving at the hospital within the hour, at which point they'd have to get Emma to wear the cuff. He smiled politely at the doctor wanting to start the conversation, he hoped he'd be able to get changed before Emma woke up, if not he'd wait for Mary Margret to get there; he wasn't inclined to leave Emma alone, especially not after the previous night.

"I thought it'd be best to talk out here," Whale began, "the nurses told me what happened with Emma last night, it must have been hard to see her like that."

David was rather surprised to see how sympathetic the doctor was being, despite his occupation, the doctor was better known for his fast quips and sarcastic nature. At least since after the curse had broke, the pre-curse opinions on him were a lot unkinder. David could only nod, to say it was hard to see that happen was an understatement, even to say he was terrified would be totally downplaying it.

"From what the nurses told me her temperature rose during the night, it's the body's natural way of fighting the illness, I can only guess that this caused Emma to have a nightmare." Whale explained. "But it was using her magic which made her breathing worse, up until then it was improving. If it continued to do so I'd be happy to send her home on Thursday and see her at a follow up appointment. Is there any way you can stop her from using her magic, one of those magic cuffs or something?"

"Yeah, Mary Margret and I are already on it, she's bringing a cuff with her this morning." David said confidently.

Whale nodded contently, "I'm starting my rounds now, but I'll see a few patients before I see Emma, I don't want to be the one to wake the beast."

"Don't call my daughter a beast." David replied protectively to the doctor's retreating back

*OUAT*

"Emma Ruth Swan!" David shouted alarmed. He had walked into the room to see Emma's hands outstretched, red magic was curling and swirling around them like smoke or water. At his voice the swirls hung, then dispersed, into the air. Emma sheepishly lowed her hands a guilty look on her pale face. " _Emma_. I told you that you're not allowed to leave this bed, considering how guilty you're looking, I'm going to presume you remember that I told you that last night, using your magic to send you home counts as leaving the bed." He said sternly, he noticed that she had taken off the oxygen mask so busied himself by putting the nasal cannula on her while he waited for her to speak.

"I wasn't going to _leave_ the bed." Emma stressed, yet she could not reach his eyes, instead she looked down at her hands, twisting them in her lap.

"Emma." His one word demanded an explanation, immediately.

"I wasn't going to leave the bed, I was going to transport it to the loft, properly this time. I was even going to take the machines so you and mom can't complain at me." She explained slightly grumpily. She hadn't wanted to leave her father, but the nightmare was still so fresh in her mind, she couldn't stand to be in the hospital.

"Emma." David sighed in a disappointed tone, before he continued softly. "Is this about what happened in your nightmare?"

"I can only remember a little bit." Emma shrugged. She hoped that because she hadn't outright denied it, her father would accept what she was saying.

If David wasn't her father, he may have just believed her, yet he could tell she was omitting the truth. The slight fear in her eyes had him thinking that she remembered more of it than she was saying. He sat on the side of her bed and looked at her seriously. "Ems, getting around what your mother and I tell you not to do, on a technicality, is still doing it and is still wrong. Now, I hope that's all out of your system, as your mother's bringing in a cuff to stop your magic for a while- "

"What!" Emma interrupted angrily "I didn't even use it!"

"Yes," David continued calmly "but you were going to. Emma, even if you hadn't of used magic just then, your mother was still going to bring it in with her. Kiddo, your magic hurt you last night while you had that nightmare, it didn't just burn you, it made your breathing worse. The nurses couldn't even treat you as you had a force field or something up. I can't let that happen again, so you're going to have to wear the cuff, just while you're here."

Emma's argument was stopped by her mother entering the room. She couldn't help but feel happy at seeing her, especially after missing seeing her the previous evening. "Mom." She beamed at her.

Mary Margret chuckled to herself as she walked further into the room, she thought it was funny how Emma had changed so quickly from clearly not being happy to being joyful, simply by seeing her. She had to admit, she was worried about Emma when she read David's text that morning, she noticed the gel burn patch on Emma's arm but a quick look from David told her he'd explain it fully to her soon. So, instead, she smiled at her daughter. "Hey sweetheart." She gently wrapped her in a hug, which Emma returned. "I'm sorry I missed you last night, Neal had to go to bed, and you were so peaceful."

"It's okay mom." Emma promised as she pulled away from her.

Mary Margret kissed her daughter's head before she turned to her husband, "Good morning Charming"

David smiled at the nickname "Good morning bandit." He teased as he drew her into a kiss. He could feel her lips curling into a smile as they kissed. He heard a groan from his daughter, and couldn't stop his laughter from escaping when he saw Emma sat with a disgusted look on her face.

"Do you guys really have to do that? You wouldn't like it if I did that in front of you."

"That's cause you're my little girl." David teased mischievously.

Emma raised an eyebrow. "You're like five years older than me." But then she grinned mischievously back at her father. "Unless you're _finally_ willing to admit you're actually in your sixties…"

"The years during the curse don't count!" he protested with a smile on his face.

Mary Margret, at least, had the decency to look slightly guilty at her and David's actions. "So, what were you two talking about before I walked in?" she asked changing the topic.

David stopped smiling "We were talking about Emma's nightmare: her magic tried to protect her, but it made her very ill, and it burnt her arm." He turned to Emma with a sympathetic look on his face. "Em, I know you can remember your dream. I'm not going to force you to tell me it, although I do think you should: it'd do you the world of good to talk about it with your mother and I. _Talk to us_ , we might be able to figure out a way to help you. You're not alone anymore, princess, you don't have to deal with it by yourself."

Emma stared back at her mother and father, who wore such love and understanding on their faces, but couldn't quite bring herself to tell them the truth. "Please." She begged "I don't want to talk about it.

Mary Margret and David watched as their daughter was so scared by her dream that she pled with puppy dog eyes, they would both do anything to stop her feeling that way.

*OUAT*

Mary Margret fished the magic cuff out the bag she brought with her when she saw David enter the room, freshly showered and changed into clean clothes, he was followed closely by Dr. Whale.

David narrowed his eyes jokily at his wife "Oh I see how it is, I have to deal with a moody Emma as well, while we get her to wear that." He muttered to her as they walked back towards their daughter's bed.

Whale stood off to the side of the room, giving the family privacy, while he waited for the cuff to be placed on.

Emma rolled her eyes at the cuff, "Come on guys, is this really necessary?" she crossed her arms, over her chest defiantly. She figured that she was probably fighting a losing battle, but she wasn't going to give in without a fight. She knew that once the cuff came off she'd feel extremely tired for a couple of days, but then again she was already feeling very tired.

"Yes, it's necessary. Anyway we already warned you that if you used your magic on purpose to get out of the hospital you'd have to wear it, and what did you do this morning?" he chided, he saw his wife look at him confused but he shook his head, as if to say he'd tell her later.

"Emma, it's just while you're so ill, your magic is hurting you and making your breathing worse. So for those reasons: it needs to be on while you're here." Mary Margret told her, not unkindly. She gazed at her daughter, hoping that Emma would be able to tell that they weren't lying, that they would remove the cuff while they were home.

Emma sat silently on the bed, she kept her arms crossed, and showed no signs of giving in. She glared at the doctor as he walked forward to the bed.

"Your magic is like a hole in a bag of sand – it's draining you. And it's draining you so much that it's delaying how quickly you're recovering, which, when you have asthma, _especially untreated asthma_ , is very dangerous."

"Em," David said quietly, "Whale said that if you keep improving, you'll be able to come home in two days. We don't want your magic to delay that.

Emma held out her wrist to her mother, but made sure to continue looking extremely unhappy. "Can I at least take a shower today?" she asked Whale venomously.

"Emma." Mary Margret scolded sharply. She fastened the cuff while giving her a warning look.

Whale chuckled, possibly to wind Emma up even more. "I'll unhook you from the machines once I've checked you over. You'll have to be quick though. I can have a nurse help you if you want?"

"No!" she said quickly.

Whale finally finished checking Emma over, he looked at her burn which must have magically healed during the night leaving only a small red mark, and he had noted that despite the previous night's set back the antibiotics appeared to be working. He unhooked her from the machines before he turned to David and Mary Margret. "If you let a nurse know when she's out, they'll be able to put her I.V back in, hopefully by tomorrow we'll be able to take her off the oxygen."

"Emma, I can help you." Mary Margret said as she watched Emma grab some clothes and head towards the en-suite with one of the hospitals towels. "I don't think that you're up to doing this by yourself yet."

"What? No! I'm an adult, I can shower by myself, thanks." She watched as her mother raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. "I'll be quick, I promise." She sighed.

David subtly interlocked his hand with his wife's as he moved to stand at her side, he squeezed gently, an understanding flowed between the two. "Okay Emma, we'll see you in ten minutes." He gave her a look which told her that he had no qualms in letting her mother help her if she took any longer.

*OUAT*

Mary Margret and David sat down to speak in private while their daughter was in the shower, David told his wife fully of the events the previous night and that morning, they paused only briefly while a nurse brought in Emma's breakfast of cereal and some toast, although they doubted Emma would be able to eat it all.

"I'm just worried that she's going to run away from the hospital-"

"-Even without her magic." Mary Margret finished. "I know, I am too. We'll just have to keep her distracted."

"It's bad that we still have to distract her from doing dangerous things when she's thirty. Although, with us as parents, is it really surprising?" David laughed. "Go on then, what do you have in mind?"

"Well, I was thinking that we could bring Henry and Neal here for the afternoon, they both miss us all being together…" she trailed off.

David tenderly took his wife's hand "I know; I miss us all being together too." He brought her hand to his mouth and kissed it. "We'll all be home and together before you know it."

She smiled at him, she was always surprised at how he knew what she was thinking, even after everything they had been through together. Her heart skipped a beat as he kissed her hand. "I love you." She muttered quietly, not even fully aware that she was saying it. She watched his eyes light up and a smile spread on his face as he echoed the sentiment back to her. She could see parts of him in Emma and Neal, they too had the sparkle in their eyes, and she was certain that Neal had also inherited his father's smile just like Emma had. But there was always part of her which longed to know what her daughter was like when she was younger: what her favourite toys to play with were, if she cried a lot when she was a baby, her favourite subject in school, and what gave her nightmares. She felt her husband squeeze her hand, anchoring her to the present.

He could tell what his wife was thinking by the look in her eye as she stared into space, a look which was all too often on his own face, yet something he wasn't sure that he would be able to fix. He gently squeezed her hand, and watched as she plastered on a fake smile, obviously unwilling to talk about it, so he played along. "What I really want to know," he said with mock seriousness, "is why you thought your argument of her needing help Em shower would work?" he couldn't stop a smirk from appearing on his face no matter how much he tried. "You realise she's just like you? And that argument, my love, would never work on you."

Mary Margret looked at her husband in confusion for a second, she had always thought that Emma was more like David than she, not that she minded that of course, she loved seeing how alike the father and daughter were. "Well, I still think that she's just like you."

"Uh huh, well, she definitely got her ability to try escape things from you…" David said, having way too much fun teasing his wife.

"I'm not that bad!" She protested.

"You do remember our _honeymoon_?"

"I remember _parts_ of it." she said in a sultry voice before she pulled him into a kiss. She, of course, knew what he was referring to, but decided to distract him rather than prove him right.

"Urgh. Guys." Emma whined, having walked out of the bathroom to hear her father's last sentence. "Do you have to talk about that?" she started walking towards them.

David stood up to meet her, holding his arms out to shepherd her back to bed, an eyebrow raised at her trying to avoid lying in bed. Once she was finally sat back on it, he helped her get hooked back up to all the machines he could, before he spoke again. "Don't worry kiddo, I wasn't talking about what you think we were." He said as he pressed the button for a nurse to come in and put the I.V back in her arm. He saw her sceptical look but could also see how worn out she was from even the simple task of taking a shower. "We'll tell you about it after you've finished your breakfast, if you'd like?"

"About...?" She questioned as she accepted her breakfast tray off of her mother.

"About how your mother got me turned to stone on our honeymoon." He watched as Emma's eyes widened, he shook his head with a smile, she clearly hadn't read all of Henry's book yet.

"I made it up to you." Snow muttered so their daughter couldn't hear.

"Okay." Emma smiled. She thought that hearing the stories from her parents was much better than listening to them in some book, but she had noticed the look her parent's had just shared and, frankly, she didn't want to know what it was about. "But please keep it PG _, please_ , for the sake of your poor, sick child?"

*OUAT*

 _Emma sat on the couch in the loft surrounded by her parents, son, and little brother. They had finally managed to find some animated film, which had captivated Neal's attention with its bright colours, and which her parents hadn't vetoed – like they had the films which were based on their, or their friends', lives. As her family were laughing at one of the jokes, Emma heard a bang on the window. She turned her head to look, worried that a bird had flown into the window. She saw nothing, she turned around to ask if anyone else had heard anything, to find herself alone in the loft. She stood up calling for her parents. But as she turned around in search for them the furniture disappeared. The loft, her_ home _, was completely bare, so alien to her without the photo frames and toys. She ran toward her parent's bedroom, to find a clue as to where her family was. As she ran past the stairs, the floor fell from under her feet._

_The scene changed to her hospital room. 'No, wait' she thought, 'it's a different room.' She couldn't shake the sense of familiarity. Her right arm felt heavy and sent shooting pains up to her shoulder, she looked down expecting to see her I.V caught on something, instead she saw a pink cast on her arm. She glanced around, a symbol on the curtain confirmed her suspicions, she was in Minnesota. In 1989. The result of her stay with the lady in the high heels. She didn't have to look in the mirror to know that a broken arm was not the only injury._

_The door opened, or at least she presumed it did, it was more the fact she became aware of people in her room, than seeing or hearing the movement of the door. Her parents! But they were not in their usual attire, they were in their Enchanted Forest clothing, her mother all in white with long hair, and her father complete with a red cape, as if they were on a quest for something. She tried to call for them but her voice died in her throat._

" _No, this isn't our daughter." Her mother told the faceless nurse. She looked straight through Emma, just like she had when Emma had gone back in time to the Enchanted Forest. She couldn't help but feel this was worse, this time she knew that she had a daughter, but it wasn't her._

" _We'll find her Snow, we'll always find her." Her father put an arm around her mother and led her out of the room._

_She tried to speak, to climb out of the too big bed, to tell them it was her, she was their Emma, their daughter. To get them to save her from what she knew was to come in her imminent future. But she could not move. She was paralysed, destined to only watch. By the time she could call out to them again, they were long gone…_

*OUAT*

David and Mary Margret were sat on the couch in Emma's room in silence, Mary Margret was resting with her back against her husband's chest, she absent-mindedly drew circles on his wrist, her eyelids heavy as she felt his heartbeat vibrate through her chest. They were both exhausted: between looking after Neal, and looking after, and worrying about, Emma they barely got any sleep. Emma would not be the only one relieved to get out of the hospital. David stared at his daughter, watching as her expression contorted from peaceful to one synonymous to having a nightmare. He gently moved his wife off of him, he had hoped not to disturb her too much, however as soon as he stood up and started towards their daughter's bed Mary Margret was on her feet.  
He stood on one side of the bed while Mary Margret stood on the other. He stroked Emma's cheek with the back of his fingers, while his wife drew circles on her hand much like she had just been doing to her husband, in the hopes that it would calm Emma down.

Emma started to turn her head from side to side in distress, her eyes were scrunched closed, and her breathing was starting to become panicked. "Dad… Mom!" she cried out, her voice cracking slightly.

David and Mary Margret shared a look, it was time to wake her up. "Em," David called "It's time to wake up kiddo." He gently shook her shoulder.

"Emma, wake up sweetheart, it's just a bad dream." Mary Margret called when her husband's attempt was unsuccessful.

Emma gasped and shot forward, her eyes wide as they darted around the room still half asleep. she stared at her parents in confusion trying to discern if she was still asleep or not.

"You're safe, baby, you're safe. We're here." Mary Margret soothed.

"Mom? Dad?"

It broke David's heart to hear the uncertainty in Emma's voice, the timid tone reminded him of when she saw them for the first time when the first curse broke. "It's okay, princess, it was just a nightmare."

As soon as he had finished the sentence, Emma burst into tears, she threw herself forward to bury her head in her father's shoulder, she pulled her mother into the hug straight after. Both parents sat down on the bed right away so that Emma wouldn't be in pain by having to stretch to reach them. David held her head close to him and Mary Margret stroked circles on her back until, eventually, her sobs subsided.

"Emma." Mary Margret paused to share a look with David, who took his hand off of Emma's head so that she would turn towards her head towards her mother. "Do you want to talk about it, Emma?"

Emma bit her lip and shrugged in response, she wouldn't even know where to start.

"Was it the same dream as last night, Em?" David asked kindly, he could tell that she just needed a push to talk about it, he leant back further so that Emma was no longer resting against his chest, but took hold of one of her hands as Mary Margret did the same.

Emma frowned "Kind of." She paused for a moment her parents silence egged her on. "It was a memory. Well, part of it was, there were other parts too."

"A bad memory?" Mary Margret asked though she made it sound like a statement.

Emma nodded slowly, she let out a calming breath before she spoke again. "Last night I dreamt about a home I was in when I was six."

"It wasn't a good one?" Mary Margret rubbed her thumb up and down on Emma's hand.

Emma shook her head unwaveringly.

"It's okay, kiddo, you can tell us." David comforted with a squeeze of his hand.

"I was with a lady, she had a teenage daughter but she was hardly ever in the house. She was really strict, especially with me, and especially when she'd been out with her friends…"

"Did she… hurt you?" David had to fight to keep the anger out of his voice when he spoke. Emma had alluded to abuse in her past: she had mentioned, in passing, of neglect, and that she had run away from a few of them, but she had never outright told them and they hadn't wanted to push her. But when they realised how shaken up she was from her dream of it, they knew she needed to talk about it.

Emma nodded. "She didn't in my dream though, I got away, you woke me up." she quickly added, as though it would reassure them.

David squeezed her hand protectively. He could only hope that one day she would realise she didn't have to protect them from her past, it was their job to protect _her,_ not the other way around. "You said that happened in your dream last night, what happened in your one just now, kiddo?" he added the moniker to keep her calm.

She looked from her father to her mother whilst she tried to decide on whether to tell them the full story, specifically the bit which included them, her mother looked her in the eye and gave her an encouraging smile and nod. What the hell, Emma thought, she was too tired to try to avoid telling them, part of her just wanted, _needed_ , to tell them: to let them help her. "We were at home, all of us, I think I might have been ill because we were watching a film. I heard something on the window, like a bird or something, I turned to see if I could see anything and when I turned back… you were all gone. Then I was in hospital, not this one though, it was the one I ended up in after that lady's house." She paused for a moment, daring herself to look up at her parents' faces. She wasn't sure what it was she expected to see, perhaps it was the faces of people from her past: pity, anger, disbelief… but all she saw was love and something that was not quite pity, more sorrow, or regret. She braved to carry on. "I had a broken arm and ribs, some bruises, and I was pretty malnourished, I wasn't in that house for that long before I got out, it could have been worse, I guess. I was in my hospital room, alone like I normally was, then you two came in." she took a breath, "You were in your fairy tale clothes, you were looking for me, but you… when you saw me, you said I wasn't your daughter." She finished quietly, her head fell down so that her chin was resting on her chest. Less than a second later, she felt two pairs of hands pulling her towards them, as she breathed in her father's aftershave and her mother's perfume she buried her head in her father's shoulder, sobs raking through her body.

"It's okay, baby, let it out." Mary Margret soothed, she felt Emma place her arm around her waist and cling onto her t-shirt almost as if she were scared she was going to leave her. She shared a look with her husband, she couldn't help but feel that she was at least responsible for this, she was the one who told David to put her in the wardrobe. Rationally she knew that had they not sent Emma to this land she would have been killed, or stuck as a baby, Regina would have done anything to ensure she didn't break the curse. She could just about see tears rolling silently down David's face as tears formed in her own eyes. He understandingly draped his left arm around her shoulders and pulled her tight against his side, his other hand cradled Emma's head. Mary Margret placed a tender kiss on her husband's hand, her free arm snaked around his waist, as she tried to give him comfort. She started to rub circles onto Emma's back, she smiled to herself as she saw Emma relax under her touch. Her eyes flickered up as David pressed a kiss to the side of her head, then watched as he did the same to the top of their daughter's head.

David wasn't sure how long they sat like that for. Emma sat sagged against him, her breathing had calmed down considerably, so much so that if he had not known any better he'd say that she was asleep. His anger and guilt had dissipated slightly while he sat there and forced himself to calm down, to not try to cross the town line and hunt down anyone who had ever made his daughter so afraid. He glanced at the clock to see it was almost time to collect Neal and Henry and bring them to the hospital. He placed a gently kiss onto the top of Emma's head again before he turned his head to his wife. "I'll go grab the lunch and our lunch time visitors." He said in a low voice, although he doubted Emma would notice that he was saying anything, she was clearly exhausted, both emotionally and physically. But before he could start to move Emma off of him, Mary Margret leant up and pressed a kiss to his lips.

"She's practically attached to you, I'll go grab them, you just stay and keep our daughter safe." She said with a smile, her voice was barely above a whisper. David looked as though he was about to argue with her. "Seriously: stay. She needs her daddy" she whispered into his ear. She pressed a kiss on her daughter's head just like her husband had done a minute before, then gently moved Emma's arm from around her. As she moved Emma turned her head to face her, her eyes were wide in questioning. "I'm just going to go grab us all some lunch, sweetie, you stay with your father." She let her thumb trace where the tears had dried under her red rimmed eyes, while Emma stared at her trying to figure out if she was telling the truth, after a minute or so Emma nodded to her. Mary Margret smiled as she saw Emma watching her start to get ready to go, David noticed this and wordlessly manoeuvred the two of them so they were leant against the head of the bed, Emma still cuddled into his side but now clearly able to see where her mother was. Once she had gathered her things and some dirty laundry to drop off at home she dropped another kiss on Emma's head and promised her husband and daughter that she'd be back soon.


	8. Chapter 8

When Mary Margret re-entered the hospital room, with Neal in her arms and Henry following diligently behind, David was still sat next to Emma on the bed. Although Emma seemed more with it than she had been when she had left, Mary Margret could see that she was sat as close to David as she could without him being pushed off the side. They sat with their shoulders side by side as Emma ate the cookie she had forgotten about the night before, Emma kept casting nervous looks at her father, David took it in his stride, and smiled encouragingly at her to he reassured her that he was there.

"Mom!" Henry cried with joy, although David, Mary Margret, and Regina had been reassuring him that his mother would be okay, he couldn't help but feel worried about her. Even though she was attached to some machines and looked really pale, she didn't look as bad as his imagination had led him to believe.

Emma's face lit up when she saw Henry enter the room and bound towards her. "Hey kid." She smiled, she could feel her father move from her bed as she hugged Henry, and tried not to let it bother her. As soon as her son had pulled away from her she looked to see her father stood with Neal babbling to him on his hip. Her mother caught her eye and gave her a knowing smile, Emma quickly changed the subject before she was forced to have an emotional conversation, again. "Wh-"

"We thought it'd be nice for Henry to visit for the afternoon, he's only missing games." Mary Margret smiled.

"We?" Emma asked squinting her eyes slightly.

"Regina included." Mary Margret smiled knowingly.

Much to her family's amusement, Emma let out a breath of relief, the last thing she had wanted was Regina blowing up her phone demanding to know why Henry was not at school. She turned to Henry again with a big smile on her face.

Henry mirrored her smile and sat on the end of Emma's bed, crossed legged and facing her. "We brought some card games and even a board game, but grandma says you might not like it. Oh! And we brought lunch," He paused before he gave her a mischievous smile "apparently the hospital's lunch isn't up to your standards."

"I didn't say that!" Mary Margret interrupted having heard Henry's comment. She mimicked her grandson's smile before adding "I just said that you're a fussy eater."

"Thanks mom, that's much better." Emma said sarcastically, it wasn't her fault she had standards when it came to food!

Mary Margret smirked and placed a carton of soup on the over bed table for Emma, then placed another polystyrene container on the table for Henry to eat with her. She watched Emma frown as Henry opened his container to reveal a burger and onion rings. "Soup will be better for your throat sweetie." She stated as she passed her a spoon, she then moved to sit at the side of the room with her husband and son, giving her daughter and grandson some time to themselves.

*OUAT*

"Mom." Henry whispered as soon as his grandmother sat down, he had seen his mother's disappointed face at the sight of her soup. "Are you ready for operation Goldilocks."

"Please tell me it's not called that because I have blonde hair…" Emma teased wearily having adopted the same volume as her son. She couldn't help but be suspicious when she saw the glint in Henry's eyes.

"Nope. It's called Goldilocks because of the string that melted cheese make when you pull them apart." He reached into his backpack and pulled out a small brown paper bag. He passed it to her adding "Just don't let Grandma see it" quietly.

The unmistakeable smell of Granny's grilled cheese sandwich hit her as soon as the bag was in her sight. She quickly looked towards her mother and father and luckily found them oblivious to what their grandson had just handed her.

"I know that you're basically addicted to them," Henry explained after seeing Emma look slightly confused, "and I heard Grams telling Ruby and Granny that she was going to try and make you stay healthy, so I asked Ruby if she could sort you one out."

"This is why you're my favourite." Emma smiled at him, she had to stop herself moaning in satisfaction as the gooey cheese so as not to alert her parents as to what she was up to. She loved being able to have these moments with her son, where there were no emergencies, she would have much rather have been out of hospital to enjoy them but she'd take what she could get. "So, what you been up to the past couple of days?"

*OUAT*

David fought hard to keep the smile away from him face as he watched Emma and Henry talk. He made busy himself with pulling faces at Neal, and pretended not to notice Emma glancing nervously over at them as she attempted to hide her food. "You do realise what Emma's eating, right?" David asked his wife in a voice reserved for Neal as he continued to pull faces at his son.

Mary Margret smiled as she looked down at Neal giggling and squirming while his father pulled faces. "Yeah, Ruby asked me secretly before she made it, she didn't want to make Emma ill from it." She shared a bittersweet smile with David, if they had been able to raise Emma they were going to make her Emma's godmother, it was nice to know that despite everything she was still looking out for Emma. "I thought she deserved it. I'm still going to ask Whale if there's anything she shouldn't be having, though." she added as an afterthought. She jokingly narrowed her eyes when David hid a chuckle at the thought of Emma's reaction to a new healthier diet. "As long as her father doesn't start giving her cookies all the time. "

David looked slightly bashful in response "She was hungry and looking all sad, but she didn't want to ask for anything. I hoped it would cheer her up a bit."

Mary Margret could almost feel her heart burst; her eyes swam with love. "I think you did," she comforted him "I also think that she was happy to just have her dad near her." David sent her a thankful smile. "She totally has you wrapped around her finger." She smirked and took a bite of her sandwich.

"She- I- "David stuttered as he tried to deny it, he glimpsed his daughter from the side of his eye and stopped. He knew as well as his wife that he'd do anything for their children and grandchild, and that he'd never deny them of what they deserved. "Well, she takes after her mother, she can get me to do anything." He grinned. He pushed his empty food container to one side and slipped Neal out of Mary Margret's arms. "But this one isn't going to wrap daddy around his finger," he said as he raised Neal above his head, "are you buddy?"

Mary Margret finished her lunch in a way in which only mothers can do, subtly keeping an eye on both of her children. Much to her surprise, Henry caught her eye and smiled, when he inclined his head towards Emma, Mary Margret realised that she had finished her grilled cheese and was now attempting to eat some of her soup to avoid suspicion. One look at Henry's proud, yet slightly cheeky, smile and she knew that getting Emma actually eating had been his plan all along: although she hadn't told Henry about Emma's loss of appetite he must have overheard her talking about it. Neal's voice brought her out of her thoughts.

"Emmy!" Neal shouted and stretched his arms out to his sister, he wiggled attempting to escape his father's hold until David started to walk closer to Emma.

Emma looked relieved at Neal's interruption and pushed the table away from her towards Henry. "Hey squirt." She smiled at her little brother, but her smile faltered when David stopped before handing the one year old to her.

David frowned mockingly as if he was trying decide something. "Hmm I don't know if Emmy's eaten enough of her lunch yet Neal." He heard his wife stifle a laugh behind him as Emma looked like a rabbit stuck in headlights.

"But I ate that gri-"Emma stopped herself from finishing her sentence, there was no way she was snitching on her son, she avoided looking at her father's face, not wanting to give anything away. "You gave me that cookie earlier." She finally settled on, in an almost accusatory tone.

David couldn't help but laugh at Emma's reaction. "Okay here you go, kiddo." He said to her as he passed her Neal. He felt his wife arm snake around his waist, he automatically pulled her close and placed a kiss atop her head. He was surprised to see Emma silently pulling faces at Neal, but there was one lingering look on her face, the one she got when she was trying to figure something out. A part of him wanted to be able to solve whatever it was for her, but instead he just let his hand ghost her shoulder and he shot her an encouraging smile. He quickly stopped Neal from pulling on the bandage covering Emma's I.V. Mary Margret conjured a singing bear toy from her bag and presented it to the youngest 'Charming'. David frowned a little when he realised that Emma was too deep in her thoughts to notice what had been going on around her, but instead of meddling he turned to his grandson, he knew that Emma would talk to him eventually, if she needed to. "So Henry, how was your math test?"

*OUAT*

'Kiddo', there was that nickname again, Emma thought. It hadn't taken Emma that long to realise that her father was a big fan of nicknames, or at least giving them to her. She hadn't grown up with nicknames, at least not nice ones, often she moved around too often for people to develop them, anyway most people didn't bother to shorten Emma as it was already quick and easy to say. But her father did, her mother did too but not nearly as often, but her father? Yes, he was a big, _big_ fan. At the start he had called them her accidentally, after the first curse had broken, when he did he had looked as though he was frightened that she would run him in with his own sword. But he had just mistaken her confusion for disproval, not just at the nickname, but at him. She hadn't actively disliked David Nolan when he was cursed, there was part of her which was secretly rooting for him and Mary Margret to get together, well up until he hadn't believed Mary Margret about Kathryn's disappearance. Even then, it was kind of hard to hate the guy, at least for Emma. So when the curse had broken and he had changed from someone she pitied, to someone who actively tried to protect her, she was confused. When he had called her kiddo one night, when she had stayed awake worried about her mother after she caused the death of Cora, she was very confused. After all, from her experience you only gave someone a nickname if you cared about them. The cursed David Nolan hadn't seemed to be able to stick around, he'd always seemed restless as if he were searching for something more, she supposed they at least had that in common: but the David who was her father was dependable and caring. He made Mary Margret laugh and gave her hope, he played games with Henry but also taught him responsibility, and he seemed to want to get to know Emma. By the time they were back from Neverland, Emma was certain that David would do anything for her, she stopped frowning at the nicknames he gave her. Kiddo was the nickname which confused her the most, not him using it, but the fact she didn't actually mind it. In fact, she rather liked it, so long as it was only in front of family, and close friends like Ruby. Whenever she had heard the word on the television or overheard it in peoples' conversations while she and Henry were in New York she felt as though she were missing something, it was only when she was home that she realised why. The nickname was a reminder that she didn't have to go through everything alone, and a promise that she never would again. It was the nicknames, the encouragements, the hand holding, and hugging, from her parents which she had missed most when she was away from them for whatever reason, she liked being able to rely on her parents, to be able to somewhat experience what it might have been like to grow up with parents.

*OUAT*

"Emma?" concern creeped into Mary Margret's voice.

Emma jumped slightly, damn had she said something out loud?

"Are you okay, kiddo?" David asked in the same tone as his wife. "We called your name a couple of times."

"Yeah, dad, I'm good." Emma beamed. She let out a breath of laughter as she saw her parents exchange a confused look, David shook his head slightly, confused at his daughter's new found upbeat tone. "What's up?" she asked.

Henry grinned at her, he didn't mind that his mother hadn't heard him when he saw that whatever she had been thinking of had made her happy. "I was trying to get Grandma and Grandpa to tell me what they were like in school."

Emma looked at them in interest "What _were_ you guys like?" she said slightly excitedly "Did you even have schools?"

"Yes, we had schools!" David protested slightly offended, he turned his head to his wife. "Why do I have the feeling we're being called old?"

"Because you are old." Emma and Henry chimed in.

"Well, Mary Margret didn't even have a _school,_ so surely I'm younger than her." David tried to defend himself.

"You're only two months younger than me. And, I _was_ educated, I didn't have an actual school though, no. But that's not because of my age, that's because I was a _princess_." She watched as David bite his lip, he clearly had been trying to get a rise out of her. She narrowed her eyes dangerously "Don't say a word David."

"Yes ma'am" David winked with a smirk which still made Mary Margret's legs go weak.

"So, mom?" Emma said ignoring, momentarily, her parents' flirting. "What _was_ school like for you?"

Mary Margret smiled having heard the barely disguised excitement in Emma's voice. "How about we all settle down and I'll tell you?" she suggested hopefully.

*OUAT*

Emma insisted on moving up so that everyone could fit on her bed, although David and Mary Margret had disputed that they'd be fine on chairs, ultimately they gave in, they could tell from the way Emma kept coming up with different excuses for them to be closer that she was starting to get tired. Which in itself was not a huge problem, but they could also tell that she was terrified to go back to sleep, they decided to indulge her for the time being but knew they would be best to help her deal with the fear sooner rather than later.

"So?" Henry prompted in the same excited tone as his mother had used not long before.

"I'll begin when your mother's finished glaring at Neal's toy."

Emma abruptly looked up from glaring at the singing toy Neal was playing with sleepily on David's lap, she gave her mother a guilty smile. "It's so annoying though."

"It's his favourite." Mary Margret chided gently with a smile. "Anyway you were the one who got it him." She smirked.

"Yeah, high five big guy!" David said enthusiastically "Well done annoying Emmy."

Emma glared at her father whose enthusiasm had passed onto his son who was now rapidly hitting David's hand. He said nothing in response, but smiled the same way he did when he made what he would classify as a good, and Emma was classify as a terrible, joke. The smile only faltered when Mary Margret cleared her throat.

"School for me was very different than it was for a lot of people in the Enchanted Forest." She began. "I obviously had lessons on basic things like literature and arithmetic, my mother and father turned one of our libraries in the palace into a school room when I was very young. It was at the top of one of the towers and was lined with huge bookcases, there were tutors brought in from throughout the entire kingdom, there were sometimes the children of visiting royals there too, but normally it was just me: it got rather lonely... But my favourite lessons were some of the ones with my father: he would teach me about his interests- things like wildlife, and astrology. We had an observatory in the palace grounds where he would show me different constellations, but my favourite time was when we'd camp out in the woods. We'd ride to a clearing and I'd get to study the wildlife: we'd see deer in their natural habitat, I'd learn about healing herbs, and what food was safe to eat in the forest. Then at night we'd tell each other the stories to go with the constellations. " She looked up to see her family staring at her, almost in wonder. "Of course, I never thought I'd need to use it." she deadpanned. David smiled knowingly to her as Henry and Emma hid chuckles, he was the only one who she had ever told about how hard it had really been to run away, how scared and lonely she had been, with only the promise she had made to her people to keep her going. That was, of course, until she had met him, the person who she couldn't have but then he threw away all the riches he could imagine: for her, then she didn't need to do it alone.

"So, did you like all your lessons?" Henry asked doubtfully, the ones that her father had taught her sounded cool to Henry, but he failed to see the appeal to arithmetic.

"Well, I know that most royal children found learning about the history of the land and our political systems and relations boring, but it was actually interesting." She rolled her eyes when she heard Emma groan in distaste. "But I couldn't stand elocution lessons, I tried to escape them as much as possible, as my step-mother it was Regina's role to force me to go to them when my father wasn't home. So I had to get creative. One day, when I knew that most of the king's guards were training so wouldn't be available, I managed to convince one of the people who worked in the kitchen to make me one of these really sickly desserts which we had in the Enchanted Forest, they rang the bell to signify to me that it was ready. Regina was angry that I had asked for it to be made for when I was in lessons, so she had to go downstairs to let them know that I wasn't allowed any that day and not to take meal suggestions from me." She heard Henry snigger, apparently Regina was still the same when it came to education. "As soon as she was gone I had some birds fly into the room and flurry around my tutor- "

"Wait!" Emma interrupted. "You can actually talk to birds? Like in the movie?" she watched Mary Margret and David bristle at the mention of their least favourite film. "You just sing to them and they do what you want?!" she continued, clearly shocked but keen about the notion.

"No." Mary Margret said with thinly veiled disgust. "I did not sing to them. I could, _however_ , communicate with them, and _ask_ them to do things." She corrected, she saw Emma look at her in amazement. "Sadly, I don't think it works in Storybrooke." She touched Emma's knee gently.

"Maybe they're just pretending not to hear you." Henry suggested.

Emma cracked a smile. "Yeah if she could talk to them she could have them take you your homework when you 'forget' it."

"On second thoughts, maybe it doesn't work." Henry said quickly, his grandmother may not have minded math, but he certainly did. "So what happened after they flew in?" he asked before his family got any more ideas.

"While the birds distracted my tutor, I hid in one of the small alcoves in the room, by the time the birds had stopped, Regina was back. They both figured that I had gone back to my bedchamber, they ran out the room to go find me. While they were doing that, I calmly walked down the steps from the school room outside, I spent the rest of the day in what had been the gardens which only my mother and I knew about."

"Well, it's a good thing Neal's fallen asleep, at least he won't copy from his mother." David teased.

"Ha, yeah good luck with that one, dad." Emma said sarcastically.

"Oh?" he put on a mock-suspicious face. "And what do you mean by that, Emma?" he asked playfully acting the part of a parent who was trying to trip their child up on a lie.

"Well, I guess some of what mom was like in school rubbed off on me." Emma said, she felt like a teenager again.

"Not just me!" Mary Margret scoffed. "David was worse than I was." She said as she side-eyed her husband who feigned an innocent face.

Emma looked at David and waited for him to explain, but he simply raised his eyebrows without budging. "I'll tell you what I did, if you tell me what you did." Emma bartered. She knew two things: one, that once she knew what her father got up to she'd be able to tailor what story she told to show her in a better light than her parents, and two, that her parents would always jump at the chance to know more about her, especially her childhood - which she could use to her advantage.

"You first." David retorted with a smile and slight shake of his head.

Emma gave a frustrated sigh. "Okay…. I also skipped classes sometimes, I didn't skip English class though as it was my favourite, I also didn't skip science when we were doing experiments." She paused for a second and looked up to see both her father and her son giving her reassuring smiles, showing they were genuinely interested. "Most of the high schools I went to had people who would pull pranks and misbehave, normally small things, y'know: stick bombs, wearing stick-on moustaches to see if the teacher would notice, making smores with Bunsen burners…" she heard Henry make a delighted laugh and quickly turned to him. "Don't tell your other mom that I'm letting you hear this, she will kill both you and me, _especially me_." She waited until Henry mimicked crossing his heart before she continued. "In the last high school I was in I became friends with some people who… they weren't bad kids, they just didn't always behave… they were older than me and were all about to leave school 'cause they were seniors. I had got my GED and wasn't really the school type so I decided I wasn't going to continue with high school. Because of this they decided to include me in their senior prank." She said with a smile but all she received were lost looks. "Come on? Senior pranks?" they continued to look clueless, she sighed, she had at least hoped that Henry would have heard rumours of it from the year they spent in New York, even if he wasn't in high school. "It's a day organised by the seniors in the school to try cause as much chaos as possibly, it's a tradition, my friends convinced the other seniors to let me in on it too. We all wanted to outdo the previous year's one so we had to plan loads of different things. We were planning it for a couple of months, I was worried I would be moved before I could do it, but luckily I wasn't. We broke… er gained entry… to the school that night, we hid loads of plastic mice, spiders and snakes all around school, after that we filled some of the corridors with plastic cups filled with water, one of the guys' managed to get a bouncy castle which was placed it in the principle's parking spot, then we filled the canteen with multi-coloured balloons and wrapped all the tables and chairs in saranwrap." She paused as she smiled at the memory. "But the best part was someone had found a place where you could rent sheep, we rented three sheep but made sure they had the numbers one, two, and four on them. The next day was complete chaos: people kept thinking the plastic animals were real, the canteen was filled with bangs from everyone popping the balloons, people kept skipping class to go on the bouncy castle, and some of the corridors flooded because people knocked hundreds of the cups over with soccer balls. Even once they had rounded up the three sheep, they were still trying to look for more as they figure there was one with a number three missing." Emma finished with glee. Henry had a huge smile on his face at the plan going down, Mary Margret tried to look as though she was disproving but couldn't stop the corners of her mouth turning up, and David didn't bother to hide his laugh which woke Neal up, he immediately stopped and tried to settle his now crying son, not to any avail.

"Did you get in trouble?" Henry asked eagerly, as Mary Margret stood up to rock Neal.

"Erm…" Emma hesitated as she picked at her hands a nervous trait which she knew she shared with her father. David nudged her knee with his and subtly nodded to let her know that Henry, and her parents, would be handle whatever the next bit of her story was. "Well, everyone knew that I was friends with the seniors so the teachers rightly assumed that I had something to do with it. The seniors and I were told we would be told what our punishments were the next day. I guess it was lucky that by the time I got back to the house I was staying at, a social worker had already packed my stuff up for me, by the next day I was in Portland. About a week after that I ran away and met your dad." She gave Henry a small smile. "And at least I didn't get in trouble for the prank."

Mary Margret shot her a sympathetic smile, she wanted to say something but her own mind was reeling with questions, before she could even start to formulate a response Neal's cries evolved into even louder half-cries/half-screams and squirmed in her arms. She knew that if she didn't distract him it would turn into a full on tantrum. "I'm going to take him on a walk around the hospital to calm him down, I'll be back in a little while." She told her family, she grabbed the teddy which Emma had been protesting about earlier, and she slipped out of the room with Neal in her arms.

Emma spared a look at her father, she didn't think that she had said anything that would upset her mother, but after sharing her nightmare with her parents earlier on she couldn't help but feel slightly more vulnerable than normal, and less reassured in her ability to read her parents emotions. And as much as it pained her to admit it to herself, she felt much safer having both her mom and dad with her. David gave her a small smile and a wink, had anyone else done it she would have found it annoying, but when it came from her father she knew it was him telling her everything was okay and to relax. "So, I told you mine, you tell me yours." Emma practically ordered him. "Unless you want to wait for mom to get back."

"Yeah gramps!" Henry said in the same tone as Emma had. "How much trouble could you have got up to on a farm?" he added cheekily.

"I guess I can a story now, Mary Margret already knows them all and it might take Neal a while to calm do-" he was cut short by the sound of his phone ringing. A frown appeared on his face when he checked the caller ID.

"Who is it?" Emma asked.

"I'll be back in a minute." David said with a tight smile, ignoring Emma's question, before he left the room.

 


	9. Chapter 9

Emma's mouth gaped open at the door which shut with a quiet click behind David, it was odd that he was acting so secretive, normally he would have at least told her who was on the phone or simply gone to the side of the room to talk. However, since both of her parents were out of the room she could finally talk to Henry about something. Since she had heard Mary Margret's story of escape from her school room she had been formulating a plan, she had been feeling so vulnerable since she had got to the hospital and the longer she stayed there the worse it got, plus it didn't help watching her family have to juggle their lives around her being in there. She just wanted everything back to normal. "Hey kid." Emma said casually as she watched Henry collect their family's rubbish from around the room and throw it away, clearly he had been taught to be tidy by Regina as there was no way he got it from Emma. "Operation Goldilocks is a really good name for a plan, it's given me and idea for another plan which would fit with the name."

Henry matched her conspiratorial grin, he glanced towards the door then went and sat on the side of Emma's bed. "Okay, I'm listening." He said in a lowered tone.

"Well, the story of Goldilocks is that she breaks into the three bears house, she steals some food and take a nap or something." She shook as she tried to remember what happened in the tale. "But, in our operation Goldilocks, instead of breaking into somewhere, we'll be breaking out of somewhere: we're going to break me out of the hospital."

Henry looked at Emma hesitantly "I don't know mom," he took in the sight of the tubes leading to her bandaged arm, and the tubes on her pale face which made sure she could breathe, "are you sure that you're well enough to go?"

Emma lovingly took his hand, sometimes she found it hard to believe that he was only thirteen years old: he was smart, responsible, and amazing at coming up with plans. But then other times, she could still see the ten-year-old boy who had first found her who would do anything to get, and keep, his family together. "Hey, I'm going to be fine, I promise. This is just a bump in the road, I'll be out of here and back to normal before you know it."

Henry smiled and squeezed her cold hand. "Okay, what's your plan?"

"Do you remember before we broke the first curse? And my dad woke up and ran away from the hospital? Well, I'm going to do it the same way."

*OUAT*

Mary Margret walked slowly down the corridor with Neal holding loyally onto her hand, the paw of his teddy was tightly grasped in his other hand, as the stuffed toy trailed along the ground. "We're almost back at Emmy's room, honey, then you can have your bottle of juice." She smiled as Neal tried to walk faster as soon as she finished speaking. She was relieved that he had stopped crying as soon as she had taken him into the main corridor, but even then she continued to walk towards the canteen, her head was swimming with thoughts. She had known that Emma hadn't had the easiest time growing up, and that she had been moved around fairly often, but she thought that Emma would at least have been given warning, or a chance to say goodbye. Another thought that was on her mind was how young Emma was when she had met Neal, and by extension how young she had Henry at, it wasn't that Mary Margret had never wondered how young she had been and how long she had known Neal- it was one of the things she had often had to force herself not to question as there was nothing she could do. As she ordered four hot chocolates and Neal's bottle of juice, she wondered briefly if David had figured out the mathematics of Emma's past, he had never said anything so she presumed not: she doubted very much that he would have a pleasant reaction about it if he had. Not that either of them would blame Emma, of course, after all she was a just a kid, but it certainly would have put Henry's father in a good light.

"Yeah I'll make sure I keep them safe. Okay, let me know as soon as you find anything. Thanks again. I'll speak to you soon." The empty corridor caused David's quiet voice to be amplified, he only became aware of that when his wife approached him, he hid a sigh of relief to know that she was there.

Mary Margret frowned confused about why David was stood in the corridor, but judging from the conversation she overheard it wasn't for a good reason. "Hey, is everything okay?"

"Yeah, of course." He said as he took the cup holder off of her, but he was careful to avoid looking at her in the eyes. "Come on, I promised Emma and Henry I'd tell them a story."

*OUAT*

"Are you sure that this will work?" Henry asked with trepidation. "Won't Grandma and Grandpa just bring you back?"

"Yeah, I'm certain it'll work. The fire exit he escaped out of is really close to my room, I'll just need you to be a look out and distract your grandpa if need be- "

It was at that moment that Henry notice Mary Margret and David were now inside of the room, and from the looks on their faces they weren't overjoyed at what Emma was proposing, he tried to shake his head at his mother to let her know to stop talking, but it was all in vain.

"Anyway when I'm back home they won't

go through the hassle of getting me back here. They'll probably be annoyed for a while, but I'll just charm them and they'll forgive me straight away."

"Oh? You think so?" Mary Margret's voice was harsh as she glared at her daughter.

Emma flinched at her mother's voice. She slowly twisted her body so she was facing her parents, she could practically see the anger radiating off of her father, and her mother didn't look like she was close behind.

"Emma, you are not going to try get out of here, I am getting sick of telling you this. You're acting irresponsible, we can't even trust you to be alone without one of us for five minutes, you're constantly telling us that you're an adult, but right now even Neal is acting more mature than you." Even Mary Margret seemed to be surprised and taken back with the fury in his words, she took the drinks out of his hand before he slammed them down on the table. He continued with his rant almost unaware that Mary Margret had taken the object from his hand. "We had to put a magic cuff to you because you refused to stop using your magic, and yet you're still trying to get out of here, and trying to drag your son into it with you. What are we meant to do? I cannot believe you'd be this reckless."

"Who was on the phone?" Emma deflected "What happened to make you freak out so much about this?" She retorted, getting angrier, as she narrowed her eyes as if trying to find some clue upon her father which would point her towards the truth. She didn't even notice Henry walking over to the couch, he held out his hand to help Neal walk over with him, and distracted the toddler from the tension in the room.

"I am not ''freaking out', Emma. I am frustrated, and disappointed, that you keep disregarding what your mother and I have told you and putting your health at risk. I get that you don't want to be here, but we're not keeping you in here just because we think it's fun: _you. are. ill_." He stressed irate. "You're not by yourself anymore, you don't get to put yourself in danger by making _stupid_ decisions."

"David, let's go talk in the corridor." Mary Margret said as she started to pull him out of the room.

" _Mary_ \- "

"Emma," She said sharply, "will be staying exactly where she is. Won't you Emma?"

Emma nodded reluctantly and she took some breaths to calm herself down, she knew the look that her mom was giving her and knew she shouldn't push both parents too far.

*OUAT*

"Something is wrong, Emma's right, what aren't you telling us?" Mary Margret asked as soon as they shut the door, the hurt was evident in her voice. She waited for a minute as David stood in silence his hands planted on his hips. "I thought we didn't keep secrets from each other anymore." She added quietly.

"Come on, Mary Margret, that's not fair." He objected, but he couldn't shake the guilt that was remerging over the Dreamshade incident, he knew that if Mary Margret pushed enough he'd fold.

"No. What is not fair, is that you're not sharing something that is making you worried, so worried that you'd take it out on Emma. Before you try to refuse that that's what you're doing, I know her wanting to leave hospital is getting old very quickly, but that is never how the man I love would handle things." She said heatedly. She stopped and counted to ten in her head. "David, we're married. We're a team. What worries you, worries me too. But we work, because we work through problems, together." She said and gently took David's hand into her own.

David sighed as he tried to think of the words to phrase what had happened. "Sometimes I forget, that Emma's not indestructible, but then she gets hurt, or ill, or she makes a rash decision which puts her in danger," he paused for a second, "or someone tries to destroy the life we all have here… and it's like she's that tiny baby, who was born too soon, and every instinct I have tells me to protect her, to protect our family. But I can't do that when she constantly trying to run away."

"Who's trying to destroy what we have here? Is there a new villain?" Mary Margret asked having picked up on her husband's clues.

"Not a new one…" he sighed again. "It's King George, he broke out of the prison in the mines." He heard his wife gasp but continued, "Thomas said that one of the dwarves heard someone say something about 'the shepherd's family' before he was knocked out."

"That man is not going to hurt a hair on the heads of our family." She responded brutally, still very much the same woman she was in the Enchanted Forest.

"I know; we won't let him. Neither will our friends, Thomas and Robin Hood are going to be leading the search, along with the dwarves and Ruby, who still has a grudge against George for framing her for murder. Granny said that she'll look after Neal if we need her to, Regina's been told and she wants Henry to stay with her until Emma's completely better."

Mary Margret nodded in understanding, but she was also slightly thankful, as much as she loved her grandson, Emma would no doubt be as antsy stuck at home as she was in the hospital: and if what had just happened was anything to go by, they wouldn't put it past Emma to use Henry in her plans again.

"And Fredrick said he'll keep a close eye on Henry while he's at school. I won't let him anywhere near any of you." David continued. "It's just- "

"Emma." Mary Margret finished, they both looked through the window to Emma's room, Emma was sat looking at her lap, her face was hidden but from the way her shoulders drooped it wouldn't be a stretch to guess she was upset about her father's outburst.

"I shouldn't have lost it at her, it's just… I can't lose her; we seem to constantly be on the cusp of losing her. But this last year since Neal was born, has been really nice, there's been no big instances, there were a couple of things, sure, but nothing we couldn't handle. We've finally had the chance to be a family. I can't let George try to ruin that." He said with a lost expression. "So when I heard that she was trying to get out of the hospital, yet again, to go home through the woods, which she has the worst direction in as it is, with George on the loose, I was terrified."

Mary Margret rubbed his back. "We're not going to lose her, but you were right earlier, she does keep putting herself in danger. Which is why I don't think we should tell her, if we do she'll use it as an excuse to get out of here and she'll end up getting worse. We'll tell her when she's back home" David went to complain but she held up a hand to stop him, "- we don't have to let her help, but we shouldn't hide it from her."

David nodded then he started towards the door "Do you want to explain to Henry that he'll be staying at his other mom's house while Emma's ill? I need to apologise to Emma for overreacting."

*OUAT*

"Daddy!" Neal announced as soon as David entered the room, but he didn't move from where he sat playing with Henry. "Emmy?" he told David, his head tilted to the side, as he expected his father to understand what he was telling him.

David looked to see that Emma hadn't looked up when he and Mary Margret had walked in, and that she was now brushing her hand across her face, an action which looked suspiciously akin to the way one would wipe tears off their face. "Yeah, buddy, daddy's going to talk to Emmy." David cursed himself when he watched Emma tense, he walked over to her walked over to her calmly to try put her at ease. "You mind if I join you?" he asked her kindly, when she shook her head he sat on the side of the bed. "I'm sorry that I got so mad at you."

Emma was so surprised that she looked up, no longer trying to hide her reddened eyes from her father. "What?" she asked confused.

Then it was David's turn to look confused, after a second or two her realised the reason why she was confused. "Em, just because you were in the wrong, to try to get out of the hospital again, doesn't mean I had the right to shout at you like that. I was worried about you and frustrated, but I shouldn't have taken it out on you, especially in such a humiliating way."

"I'm sorry that I scared you." Emma said quietly, she wasn't used to people taking the time to apologise when they did something, the longer she spent with her parents the more she realised the messed up parts of her childhood. But the conversation was taking too of an emotional turn for Emma who was already exhausted from the things she had told her parents earlier on. So instead she smirked. "I'm not sorry that I tried to run away though."

David let out a breath of laughter when he saw Emma give him a smile which was all too close to her own. "I figured you'd say that." He kept smiling but turned slightly more serious. "But, Emma, because you did try to get out the hospital again, either your mom or I will be with you at all times-"

"You don't trust me?" Emma exclaimed, her heart broke at the words, but she could understand the reasoning behind it.

"Emma," David said calmly "you've repeatedly done this, even after we've told you not to, we understand that you're an adult, but we will not sit idly by and watch you put your life in danger. You wouldn't let your son do this, so I am not going to let my daughter do it either. Although I trust you, I don't trust you to make the right decision on this matter, so your mother and I have to step in." He took a second to let the words sink in. "Do you understand?"

"You know that it's unfair for you to use your prince 'I'm going to convince you that I'm right and not make you mind' logic in arguments against your daughter?" Emma quipped, she waited to see if she would be able to distract her father, but David just raised an eyebrow and fought to keep a grin from his face at Emma's attempt at humour. "Fine, I understand." Emma sighed: she did, after all understand, she did not, however, agree – not that her parents needed to know that.

"Good." David smiled as he looked into her eyes, he could see a sliver of determination still in her eye, but he hoped that he was wrong, after all she had just promised.

"So," Emma said curiously "do we finally get to hear what you were like in school?"

David pretended to ponder it for a minute or two "Hmm, I suppose so." he grinned "Henry, you wanna get some ideas for pranks?" He joked as he passed Emma one of the cups of hot chocolate.

"Don't even think about it kid." Emma said dryly with a fake glare at David.

*OUAT*

It took them a little while for them to settle down as Neal wanted to play with Henry, eventually he was distracted by Mary Margret with a colouring book and some crayons. Despite Neal's young age he was often happy to emerge himself in 'colouring in', or as Emma had described it 'elaborate scribbling', as Emma had discovered not long ago to try divert him from a tantrum while she was babysitting. After assuring Henry that Mary Margret would still be able to listen to the story, and that she knew it buy heart anyway, Henry sat down on the chair next to Emma's bed a cup of hot chocolate in his hand.

"I obviously grew up very differently than Mary Margret." David started, his voice took on a soothing tone, his deep tone perfect for storytelling. "I grew up in a small farm house cottage, it was just myself and my mother, Ruth, as my father died when I was young. It was hard work, and we struggled a lot no thanks to the powerful war lord, Bo Peep."

"Seriously dad?" Emma laughed "You expect us to believe that 'Little Bo Peep' was a war lord?" she quirked an eyebrow towards Henry but saw that he had a grave expression on his face, obviously he had read about her in his book. "Wait, she actually is? Who is she in Storybrooke? Why haven't we arrested her?!" She asked getting angry.

"Em, calm down, kiddo." David soothed so that only she could hear, Henry pretended not to listen by playing with a loose thread on his trousers. "We don't arrest people in Storybrooke for the crimes they committed in the Enchanted forest, Em, remember? We can, however, keep a close eye on them here to make sure they don't do it again, which I do. But trust me she's powerless, and even if she wasn't, I defeated her once before I would be able to do it again. Although it's nice to know that you worry about me, you don't have to, it was a long time ago. Now, can I get back on with the story?"

"Yeah, yeah, go ahead Jackanory." She rolled her eyes when everyone in the room gave her a confused look at her reference. "Never mind."

"Now, as I was saying, I grew up in a very rural place. My nearest neighbour was just under an hours walk away, they had a son, Jack, who was my age and I had grown up with. Under the rule of the king, education became very important, even to us poor shepherds," he noticed Mary Margret roll her eyes playfully at his dramatics around his background "so we were to be given a rudimentary education at either the nearest town's school, or be educated at home, though it wasn't checked up on if the child was being educated, both my mother, and Jack's parents thought it was important. So I would wake up before dawn every morning, do the jobs I had to do around the farm in the morning, my mother would make me some breakfast, then I would set off to meet Jack at his farm, before we began our hour long walk to our school. I loved school," he heard both Emma and Henry scoff this time.

Mary Margret tutted jokingly at Emma and Henry's scoffs "It's not a bad thing to like school you two." She said with laughter in her voice.

"But on saying that, I found it very hard to concentrate, if I was finished with my work I would often start to distract people around me." He saw Emma smile and could only guess, if the ways she tried to get out of paperwork was anything to go by, that she was the same. "Luckily my teacher knew this, he was a very kind man who wanted to share knowledge, he used to wave swords around and re-enact historical battles on the desks. He also managed to produce a different book for me each day to stop me from messing about, it was a good incentive to finish my work quicker to know that while everyone was still struggling on arithmetic, I could be reading about adventures, sacrifices… true love." He winked at his wife. "But that all changed when he was taking a month off to go visit his daughter who lived in a different town. While he was gone the merchant's wife, Mrs Heath, took over. Mrs Heath accepted the job as she was asked by the mayor, which must have been the only reason she accepted, as she hated children, but she didn't just hate them, she was cruel to them. At first we were on our best behaviour we would politely point out that she was incorrect, yet she still continued to fault us in every way possible she would humiliate us and punish us for doing nothing, we only stopped trying hard to be good when she picked on some of the younger children- extremely harshly. So we decided that we would get back at her. Jack, two of our friends, Peggy and Eliza, and myself decided that we would play some pranks on her. We did small things: putting metal tacks on her chair, unflattering drawings of her on the chalkboard, that sort of thing. But she kept treating all of us, especially the younger children, harsher and harsher, we did some digging and we found that she was trying to get the school closed by saying we didn't have a right to an education."

"What!" cried Henry indignantly "That's wrong, did she get away with it?"

"You're right Henry, it was wrong. It got to the point where we knew we couldn't let her get away with it, we decided had to drive her out. Eliza's father was a merchant so she fetched a pail of water which was tainted with red dye, Peggy's family owned the town's butchers so she managed to procure some animals intestines for us to use as balloons-"

"Cool." Breathed Henry

"Eww." Emma said at the same time with a disgusted look on her face.

David laughed at the very different reactions, which was only made funnier to remember that Emma was the one who should have grown up in that world. "You'll find this next part even cooler, Henry. We filled one of the intestines with the coloured water, the other we blew up and filled with feathers we had collected from Jack's farm. We all made sure to get to school really early that morning to place the water balloon on the ledge of the door as she always insisted on going into the classroom first and refused to let us in for another ten minutes, the door was heavy and automatically slammed shut so we attached some ropes to the door, a couple of weights and a pin so that it would pop over her head when she was inside the room." Emma and Henry's mouths were hanging open, their eyes wide in anticipation. "The next the last part of the plan was my responsibility as I was the best with animals. So when everyone got to the school house in the morning I hid slightly out of sight, with a skunk. As Mrs Heath went into the room I got the skunk to stand outside of the door, then we all hid. We heard her scream and the door open the next thing we see is her running away. We all quickly worked together to clean up the classroom and sat there doing work, us older kids helped the younger ones. About an hour after Mrs Heath had left, the mayor came to tell us off and he found us all working, he seemed to be surprised about it so he asked me if I had any idea why our teacher was bright red- I, innocently as I could, suggested that she had spent too much time in the sun. We were allowed to go home early, our normal teacher was back by the next week, and we never saw Mrs Heath again." David finished.

"Okay, even I have to admit that's cool." Emma said, despite her attempt at a blasé tone, her whole face lit up in awe of her father.

"It's awesome!" Henry enthused "Could you teach me how to make those booby-traps?"

"From the way your grandmother is glaring at me? I'm gonna have to say no." David laughed as he ruffled Henry's hair, which Henry tried to duck away from.

"Could you teach _me_ how to make those booby-traps?" Emma said giving David her most charming smile.

David laughed even louder "From the look your mother is giving me, I'm definitely going to say no." although the warning look on Mary Margret's face and the mischievous look on Emma's, which looked way too like her mother's, made him very tempted to tell Emma just to see how she would use it.

Emma frowned but decided that she would totally be able to get her father to tell her, she'd just have to wait until her mother wasn't around, and then she'd have to choose to pull her adapted versions of the pranks on some – preferably someone who wouldn't literally kill her for doing so. Emma saw Henry's eyes wander towards the bag which held the board game he brought. Mary Margret was right, she wouldn't like to play it, monopoly was, in Emma's opinion, the worst game ever invented. Especially when her mother watched her like a hawk to make sure she wasn't cheating, which Emma claimed was to make it more realistic. But Emma knew that if Henry asked, especially if he gave her his puppy dog eyes, she would cave immediately and be stuck playing the longest and worst board game in the world, possibly the worst in any world. She swiftly flicked on the television and thanked her lucky stars when she stumbled upon a Harry Potter marathon on one of the channels, though she did wonder how the series was constantly playing on one of the television stations, or perhaps it just happened to be on when she needed it to.

"Oh!" Henry said when he saw the movie playing "I was just about to ask if-"

"Oh, hey!" David interrupted "these are the movies to the book that you're reading, right Em?" his tone clearly tried to open up a conversation and distract Henry, which luckily worked.

She mouthed 'Thank you.' to her father, a Henry started to tell them his opinion on whether the book or movies were better.

David mouthed 'You're welcome" back, he then collected Neal from his wife and started to bounce him on his knee, making the room fill with giggles.

*OUAT*

The rest of the evening passed quietly, the family talked and played with Neal, they only stopped when the nurses came in to check on Emma and give her the tray containing her dinner. At which point David and Henry went down to the hospital canteen to get the rest of the family some food, they returned not only with food, but also with snacks for while they were watching the movies. David also had returned with a bag containing something, but when Emma asked him what it was he simply told her that he'd tell her later.

*OUAT*

Eventually, Neal fell asleep, nestled on his mother's lap, and Henry yawned for the hundredth time- David, Mary Margret, and, slightly more begrudgingly, Emma decided to call it a night. As David and Mary Margret said goodbye to each other in a sickeningly lovey-dovey kind of way, Henry made his way over to his mom, his hair had started to flick at the back from where he had been fidgeting in his seat as he tried to stay awake.

"I'm sorry we didn't get to play the board games you brought, kid." Emma told him as they hugged, although they both knew that she wasn't.

"It's okay," Henry smiled back at her, "my other mom wants me to stay with her, just until you're better, that's okay with you right?"

Although Emma naturally wanted Henry to be with her as much as possible, she saw the smile on his face and realised he wanted to spend time with Regina, she couldn't help but remember Regina and his relationship when Emma had first met Henry, and she saw how much it had improved. So she nodded. "Yeah, of course, I understand."

"But I'll come see you a lot," he promised with a smile, "and then we can play that game"

"I can't wait." She teased.

"Will you text me as soon as you're out?" Henry asked, he knew it would only be a couple of days at most, but he was anxious to see her again.

"Of course," Emma smiled gently, "As soon as I'm out you can come round and we'll do something, hey, maybe we could have a Mario kart tournament again."

"That sounds awesome." Henry yawned. He gave his mother another hug.

David walked over to Emma while Henry said goodbye to his grandmother.

"Do I finally get to find out what's in that bag?" she smirked.

David placed the bag on Emma's bed and pulled out two battery operated candles. "I saw these in the hospital shop and thought they might be helpful," he said somewhat nervously, "I know that they're not the same as normal candles, but I just wanted to be able to…" he trailed off he didn't want to remind Emma of her nightmares which he thought may have still been bothering her.

"To keep the nightmares away." Emma finished off in a whisper, it was only then that she realised why David seemed nervous, he was desperate to try and help her but he wasn't sure how. He had first shown her that candles were supposed to keep away nightmares when she came back from travelling in time, she had been avoiding sleep to try and stop herself from having nightmares about her mother's death in the alternative time line, something not too different to what she was trying to do now. She wasn't too sure if she would use them, but she appreciated the gesture all the same, she also appreciated that he hadn't given them to her in front of Henry- she didn't want him to worry. "Thank you, dad." She said sincerely, she hoped he realised that she didn't just mean for the candles.

"No problem, kiddo." He winked. "I'll see you tomorrow, if what Whale and the nurses have said is right, hopefully tomorrow night will be your last night here."

"I hope so. I hate hospitals." Emma said with a sad pout.

"I know you do, Em. But you're still a little too sick to be home, as soon as you're given the all clear I'll break you out of here: I promise." David gave a small smile when he realised that Emma was trying to hide a yawn, it never ceased to amuse him that she seemed to get whingy when she was tired despite her age, it probably didn't help that she was ill. He knew she would try to fight the tiredness though; on one hand he was grateful that he wouldn't have to be the one to convince Emma to go to sleep, but on the other hand he would much rather Emma was at home, particularly because King George was still missing. David figured that George would be unlikely to go after Henry, George knew better than to make an enemy out of Regina, plus he knew that Regina would be able to protect Henry well. No, if George was trying to get to David and Mary Margret, he would do it by going after Neal or Emma. David had already decided to go out with a team the next day to search of the deposed monarch, he would leave Neal with Granny for a couple of hours while he did, if anyone could look after Neal it would be Granny. "Emma, while I'm gone-"

"Listen to my mother. Yeah I know." Emma said with a tiny smile and a roll of her eyes.

"Good girl. And no more trying to break out of here, please, you're giving me grey hair." He teased.

"Yeah I thought I noticed that, maybe even a bald spot appearing."

"Sweet dreams, Em." David said as he gave her a hug and kissed her on the head. "I love you."

*OUAT*

Once the boys had gone home, and David had text her to let her know that Henry was safe at Regina's and Neal was safe at their home, Mary Margret looked over to see Emma still awake. She had hoped that if she was quiet Emma would fall asleep after all she had been fighting it for a fair few hours, yet there she sat picking at her hands.

Mary Margret knew the nervous tick only too well, having watched it both in Emma and David, they both became aware that they were doing it and would try to stop but they hadn't seemed to figure out something else, but Mary Margret had. They both did it when they were worried about something to do with their family, she hadn't known at first in the Enchanted forest when would twist his hands together when he was worried about something with her, before they were even married. But once they had found out she was pregnant with Emma, she saw him do it more and more. It was then she realised that when he was worried about matters to do with their kingdom he didn't show it, he would talk to her about it later, but when it came to family he was fiercely protective, but he also worried more, and would decide to bottle it up. Emma was the same, particularly if she was worried that she would make a mistake, put them in danger, or generally 'mess it up', no matter how often David and Mary Margret tried to reassure her that those would be none of her fault. This time Mary Margret thought it may have something to do with sharing so much of her past, although she was sure that it must have felt good to have one of her walls down, Emma was probably also feeling vulnerable, there was nothing Mary Margret could do but stick with her and prove that she was there for her. She wandered briefly if she should suggest that Emma read her book to help her fall asleep, but she decided against it, she thought it was sweet that Emma had enjoyed having her father read it to her, so instead she brought up her plan B.

She picked up her bag which she had brought with her earlier on, and walked over to the bed. She sat down on the side of the bed and gently placed a calming hand on Emma's fidgeting ones. Emma looked up at her and gave her a small smile. Mary Margret returned it before she pulled out Emma's laptop from her bag. "Now that the boys have gone, how about you and I watch something?" She asked with a quirk of her eyebrow.

A smile spread across Emma's face, she knew exactly what show to get her mother to watch with her. "Do you know anything about clones?"


	10. Chapter 10

_Emma woke to the sound of crying, a baby's crying specifically. The baby sounded close by, as though it were somehow coming from inside of her room, she looked to the side of her bed to see one of the clear hospital cots, and a baby inside of it. She recognised the distress from her, somewhat clouded, fake memorise of raising Henry and from her real memoires of her brother as a new-born. She reached for the baby on impulse, unable to bear the mewling, but when she started to move her hand, it caught on something, it took her two more attempts of moving it before she bothered to look at what was stopping her. Handcuffs._

*OUAT*

Emma jolted awake.

"It's okay sweetie, it was just a bad dream, you're okay." Mary Margret soothed. She watched quietly as Emma looked around the room then moved bother of her wrists in front of her face, once she seemed happy, she turned to look at her mother. "Was it the same dream as before?" she carefully questioned.

Emma shook her head, she stared at her mother for a few seconds before she realised that something was off. Mary Margret's eyes were slightly bloodshot, although earlier she had changed her clothes they were still neat, and her hair was still flat not curled up at the edges like it normally was when she had been asleep. Emma's mother had clearly not slept; Emma couldn't help but wonder why. "What time is it?" Emma asked, she winced as her voice tore through her throat, she coughed slightly to try and clear it, but winced again: not a good idea, she decided.

Mary Margret poured Emma a glass of juice, knowing her daughter's dislike for water, and passed it to her. She waited for Emma to take a sip before she spoke "It's half past four." She was given the glass back from Emma as the blonde nodded. Mary Margret rubbed the ducts of her eyes, to force herself to keep them open, as she walked back towards Emma's bed.  
When she saw that Emma was frowning as she stared into space, clearly because of her dream, Mary Margret picked up one of the candles David had left on the bedside table the night before. She turned the switch on and watched as Emma visibly relaxed, she turned the other candle on as well and watched as Emma stop staring into space, her face turned to Mary Margret no longer looking quite so lost. The flickering electrical light drew Mary Margret's eyes to how tired Emma looked, she sat on the side of the bed and took her daughter's hands. "What happened in your dream, sweetheart?" she asked again, her thumb stroked Emma's knuckle, hoping to take the chill out of her daughter's hand as she did so.

Emma tightened her grip on her mother's hand momentarily, she then loosened the grip as she sighed. "I was in hospital again. There was a baby there, it was crying… it just kept crying. When I tried to reach for the baby my hand was caught on something…o- on handcuffs." Emma looked down, unable to meet her mother's eyes, the embarrassment of her past still affected her even though she knew it was unjustified.

"Oh, Emma." Mary Margret said sympathetically, she cupped Emma's cheek with her left hand, her daughter looked up at her touch. "It's okay, you're not there anymore, it was just a dream."

"It felt real." Emma muttered.

Mary Margret couldn't restrain herself anymore, she pulled Emma into a hug, she rocked her slight, and Emma rested her head on her mother's shoulder. "I'm sure it did, and you shouldn't have ever gone through that, you were just a kid. I wish there were something I could do to take those memories away, or to have been able to stop you from going there." She felt Emma nod against her shoulder, as if to say she knew she would, Mary Margret rubbed circles onto her back, "But I know that I can't do that. So instead, I'll promise you that you will never, ever, have to go through that again. Your father and I will make sure of that."

Emma did not loosen her grip on her mother for several minutes so neither did Mary Margret. When Emma eventually did move she quickly wiped a couple of tears from her eyes. "So how about you, why are you up?" she asked to try to distract her mother.

Mary Margret noticed the diversion in conversation, but accepted it with only a slight raise of her eyebrow. "I just couldn't sleep, I thought I may as well wake up and read." She lied smoothly.

Emma nodded, too tired to mention that she didn't look like she had slept at all, and that there were no blankets or books in sight.

"Why don't you try get some more sleep, honey?" Mary Margret suggested. "You have me here to wake you if you need me to, and you also have your father's candles…"

"To keep the nightmares away." Emma finished with in a whisper with a small smile. "I'm not really tired." She grimaced at the thought of having another bad dream.

"Okay," Mary Margret said, the cogs of her mind whirring to come up with a plan, "how about we both sit here for a while then?" she proposed in the hope that Emma would eventually drop off.

Emma hesitated, but then realised that her mother might be able to fall asleep, so nodded and moved over so they could sit next to one another.

*OUAT*

Twenty minutes later Emma was asleep and Mary Margret was pacing the room. She couldn't sleep, not while King George was out there, she started to wonder if they would ever catch a break. She wished she could be out there, doing something active to find him, to hunt him, but she also knew that if she were out there she'd want to be back in this room, protecting Emma. She sighed and pulled out her phone, there was only one person she desperately wanted to speak to, the person who was probably also in the same position as she was. Sadly, she knew they he would more than likely be asleep, she sent him a text to ask, or more accurately tell him, to let her know how everything was going tomorrow, and of course how Neal was. She placed it down on the couch ready to continue her pacing, but as soon as it bounced from where she tossed it, it started to ring. She scrambled for it quickly, so it didn't wake Emma, and answered it before she could even look at the caller I.D.

"Hello?" her voice was just above a whisper as she walked to the far corner of the room, away from Emma's bed.

"You can't sleep either, huh?" the deep voice joked sleepily but filled Mary Margret with calm.

"David." She breathed, before she remembered she should actually speak to him. "No, not at all, you?"

"Mary Margret, you really should sleep-"

"I'll sleep tonight, better yet, I'll sleep when we've caught that monster and we're all back home." she rubbed at her eyes again with her free hand. "And you didn't answer my question."

"I- I got a couple of hours on and off."

Mary Margret hummed in understanding "How's Neal?" she asked having noticed that her husband's voice was also quiet.

David chuckled through the phone "Oh well, he's decided he'd much rather sleep in our bed, even without you here he's still a bed hog, he takes after his sister."

Mary Margret laughed, she had discovered that when she and Emma had first gone to the Enchanted Forest, she had figured that it was because she was in a strange place and had only known Mary Margret, and of course she had been going through a weird time finding out that the curse was real and her parentage. But it had happened again when they were in Neverland, she would sleep a fair distance away from where they were, but they would wake up with her almost next to them, after Emma and Henry had come back from New York she had admitted that those were only times she had managed to sleep, even if it were broken sleep.

"Mary Margret?"

"Sorry, I was lost in my thoughts, what did you say?"

She could picture David's smile that was so clearly on his face when he repeated himself "I asked how our girl is."

Mary Margret turned to look at Emma who was still soundly asleep in the hospital bed. "She had a nightmare, but she eventually fell back asleep , your candles helped." She smiled.

"I'm glad they did; this will be a lot easier when she's out of there."

"Oh no."

"What?" David said alarmed "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, other than the fact you just jinxed it." she joked.

David laughed again, "Did she tell you what her dream was about?" he asked after he stopped laughing.

Mary Margret went on to explain Emma's dream to him, then she helped him formulate a plan to help him lead the others in the hunt for George later that day. After ten more minutes they ended their call, after promising the other that they would both get some more sleep. They both went to sleep with their hearts slightly lighter.

*OUAT*

Mary Margret got about an hours sleep before she woke again, having accidentally taken a power nap as opposed to proper sleep. She sighed but decided she would take advantage of Emma's shower before she woke up. She sat half reading her book and half keeping an eye on Emma and anyone who might enter the room.

A few hours later, Emma woke up, and was surprised to see it was already half past nine. She looked over to see just her mom sat there. "Where's dad?" she asked croakily.

Mary Margret shot her a sympathetic look and passed her some juice "He had to take care of something a work, but he'll be here this afternoon."

Emma nodded, but couldn't stop a sad look appearing on her face, she'd got used to having both her mom and dad there during the morning but she understood that her father needed to take fulfil his duty as sheriff: it didn't mean she had to like it though.

*OUAT*

David looked up from the map he was staring at on his desk when he saw Regina approach him. "How's Henry?" he asked by way of a hello.

The former queen smiled at him, "Apparently there's been a fun day arranged at the school."

"Yeah, Fredrick said that he'd do something to keep all the kids entertained, I wouldn't put it past George to attack the school – even if Henry wasn't in it"

"George is many things, but I doubt he'd be so stupid as to attack _my_ son." Regina said, angry at the thought of George even debating hurting Henry.

David looked at Regina as if he was trying to figure something out.

"Don't think so hard ' _Charming'_ ," she mocked, "you'll strain something."

David rolled his eyes "You knew him pretty well, didn't you? Back in the Enchanted Forest."

"If you're suggesting that I would help him." Her voice rose in anger.

"I'm not suggesting anything; I know that you've… changed." He said slightly begrudgingly.

"Does it pain you to say it?"

"Oh trust me, I much prefer this version of you." he said in jest "But you'd know if there was anyone in town who he's working with, I know him well enough to say that he doesn't do his own dirty work."

"I have some files on people who I kept an eye on in my office, there'll probably be some of his lackeys there." She confirmed.

"I've made a list of the ones I remember from my time pretending to be my brother, but I don't doubt that there's more, you can use the police systems to match up any which have criminal records in this town. And Emma created a system with all of the people she met and their names from the world they're from." He smiled when he remembered how Emma had tried to hide it at first, but eventually told him so that she could learn about others, she had put together information regarding the information from her talking to people, information David and Mary Margret had told her, and worked with Henry to put together information from the book.

"I'll take one of the police laptops to my office." She looked around at the slightly messy police station with an air of disgust.

"Okay, well the laptop's in the office, the password's still the same as last time you used it." He glanced at his watch and stood up, in one fluid motion he put on his coat and grabbed his stuff. "There's a walkie-talkie in the office too, take that then you can talk to me and the others. I've got to go, I'm searching the woods with Ruby, but either Mary Margret or myself will talk to you about any names you find."

It was hard not to be impressed by the Prince, despite his birth, he was clearly a good leader. He spoke with confidence and clearly relied on others to follow him. Even the way he walked out of the room was effortlessly regal.

"David." Regina called.

David turned back around to face her. "Yeah?"

"I didn't know." She received just a confused look in return. "I did a lot of terrible things in the Enchanted Forest, hell I did some _here_ too, but I didn't know. I didn't know that he gave Mary Margret that potion to drink, I wouldn't do that. I know what I did was… well…." She paused and composed herself. "I'm sorry you didn't have the opportunity to raise Emma, but if you had…" she trailed off.

"We wouldn't have Henry." David nodded in understanding, as much as he and his wife hated that they weren't there for Emma, they knew that none of them, _especially Emma,_ would sacrifice Henry for that: it wouldn't be fair or right. "I should probably go, Ruby's waiting." He smiled kindly at her, but couldn't help but feel slightly uncomfortable at the two of them not taking swipes at each other.

*OUAT*

After Emma had her breakfast, and got changed, she practically collapsed onto the bed: exhausted. As if that wasn't enough, Whale came along to improve her mood, she automatically glared at him as she saw him walk in.

"Emma. Behave." Mary Margret said shortly with a severe look.

Emma wiped the look off of her face and nodded. Her mother had clearly not slept, or slept only a little, Emma knew that her mother was like her; as in they both needed sleep or they would become short tempered and moody. 'Oh no,' Emma thought, 'this is not gonna work.', she would clearly have to do something about that, as there was no way they'd both survive the day.

"Good morning, Emma," Doctor Whale said without looking up from Emma's notes, clearly oblivious about the moods of the two women in the room. "how are you feeling today."

"Fine." Emma said automatically, Mary Margret shot her a look which told her 'fine' wasn't going to cut it. "My breathing's feeling better, but it's still a little harder at night." She relinquished part of the truth, hoping that he would stop asking questions- even if it was his job.

Whale smiled politely as he looked up from the chart. "We've found that asthma patients find it harder to breathe at night, when you leave here I'll give you three inhalers, one of which will be a steroid one you'll take that morning and night, it will help keep the swelling in your lungs down and help you breathe." He started to listen to Emma's chest and seemed pleased with the result. "You seem to be doing much better, the steroids are clearly working."

"Does that mean I can go home?" Emma asked, struggling to contain her enthusiasm.

"I would say one more night here." Whale said, slightly apprehensively. "Now how about pain? Does it hurt when you breathe?"

Emma grimaced "Yeah." She muttered.

"Don't worry," Whale assured Mary Margret and Emma, "that's to be expected, the tablets I'm giving you to keep your temperature down- I can't give you anything stronger as it will make your asthma worse."

Emma nodded, she wasn't really a big fan of having lots of pain medicine anyway.

"-should help, and drinking honey and lemon should help her throat, or sucking on mints."

Emma frowned she had clearly missed part of the conversation, as she struggled to keep her eyes open, probably her mother asking what was in her opinion way too many questions. She yawned silently but when she opened her eyes she was being stared at by her mother and the doctor. "What was that? I missed it." she asked.

Mary Margret smiled at Emma "Doctor Whale said that you can change to tablets instead of the I.V."

Emma smiled broadly, she would rather be going home, but she would take what she could get.

"I'll also take you off the oxygen, if you find yourself having trouble breathing just let one of the nurses know and they'll give you it again." He looked at Emma for a second before he turned to Mary Margret with a smirk, "Although it's probably better to tell you that, I doubt your daughter would ask even if she were blue in the face."

"Why don't you just- "Emma started to say aggressively.

"Emma! That's enough." Mary Margret sad sternly then she turned to the doctor and spoke slightly stiffly, "Will that be all Doctor Whale?"

The doctor nodded slightly sheepishly and set himself to work, detaching Emma from all the machines before leaving to tell the nurses to give Emma her medicine and complete his rounds.

*OUAT*

" _Emma."_ Mary Margret said drawing her attention to her. "I know that you and Whale don't get along, but you've got to stop rising to the bait."

"Even when he's behaving like an ass?" she countered.

" _Especially_ when he's behaving like an ass." Mary Margret confirmed.

After two episodes Emma was feeling antsy, she needed to get out of her bed, out of her room, and out of the hospital, even if it was only for five minutes. She looked over to see her mother had fallen asleep, she carefully draped a blanket over her mother then sat back on her bed. A couple of minutes passed and she still felt restless, she needed to get out of there but there would be no way the hospital staff would risk the wrath of her parents should they find out, a plan formed in Emma's mind. Suddenly it clicked, she pulled her laptop towards her and turned exited Netflix. She knew that updating the police system was a good idea, she may not have been able to access files on people through the online system, but she could access information about buildings. She quickly logged in, and pulled up the blueprints of the hospital. She just needed to find an unused corridor to be able to get to one of the unalarmed fire exits.

"Emma Ruth Swan!" Mary Margret barely refrained herself from shouting. "I cannot believe you would do this again!"

"I was just-"

"You were just going to find a way out of the hospital." Mary Margret closed Emma's laptop and moved it to the table on the other side of the room. She turned and crossed her arms, staring at Emma with a no-nonsense look.

"Are you seriously taking my laptop away from me?"

"There are plenty of other things you can do." She replied not unkindly.

"Yeah, sure, I have a choice out of a whole four walls I can stare at!"

"Emma, cut it with the attitude." Mary Margret said sternly.

Emma sighed, she counted to ten in her head the sent her mother an apologetic look. "I just needed some air, I feel like I'm suffocating in here."

Mary Margret took a breath "I know Emma, but this wasn't the way to go about it, you could have just asked me and I would have taken you."

"Could we go now?" Emma asked hopefully.

"It's raining," she nodded towards the window where it was indeed raining heavily, "if you went out in that you'd end up staying in here for even longer."

"You wouldn't have taken me anyway." Emma muttered, she knew she wasn't really angry at her mother, yet took it out on her regardless.

"You're right Emma, if you had tried to sneak out yet again while it was sunny, I wouldn't have." She returned shortly. She knew that she was being harsher than she normally would have, but like Emma, she was accidentally letting her frustration out on the wrong person. She couldn't bear to think what might have happened if Emma had gone outside and George had got to her… if she hadn't woken up when she did…

Emma clenched her eyes closed regretfully. "Mom, I'm sorry." She received a nod in return and was handed the television control, apparently she wasn't getting her laptop back anytime soon.

*OUAT*

She heard her mother turn the page of her book for what seemed like the hundredth time but Mary Margret's silence was deafening. "Are you still mad at me?" Emma asked somewhat timidly she tagged a smile onto the end of her sentence in hopes that it would make her mother sympathetic.

"I'm not mad, I'm just... I just need you to do as your father and I say on this one, please? Just trust us that we know what's right for you?" Mary Margaret sighed in defeat "And don't think I don't know that you're using that smile to try and win me over. You're just like your father."

"How am I like him?" Emma asked quietly

Mary Margaret halted for a second, she thought that Emma knew how she was like her father already? No, this was something more, this was Emma wanting to be assured that she was part of them. She forced herself not to sigh so that Emma didn't get the wrong idea, David's absence from the hospital that morning was clearly affecting Emma. She knew David would much rather be with them, but their family's safety was top priority, even before their daughter's happiness. She decided to indulge Emma.

"You've got his hair, not so much his hair from now, but from when he was younger: his mother told me that when he was a little boy it was really light, it got darker as he grew up, but yours seems to have stuck. Your eyes are like mine but you also have bits of blue in them, the same shade as your father's eyes, a perfect mix of both of us."

Emma blushed slightly, but hid a small smile, so Mary Margaret continued.

"You obviously have his smile, which you also try to use to your advantage, unfairly might I add." Mary Margaret teased.

Emma couldn't help but grin at that, she quickly made sure to add extra charm to said smile.

"But what matters more is what you got from him that isn't to do with your looks. You both have a strong sense of family, you'd do anything to protect us and keep us together even if it means putting yourself in danger.

Emma smiled slightly guiltily, she knew that that trait scared her mother constantly, it was nice to know that she could blame her father for it though.

"You have his temperament," Mary Margaret continued "although I'm not entirely sure if that's a good thing when we deal with the likes of Gold." She raised her eyebrow pointedly, having had many conversations with her about not threatening the most powerful man in the town.

Emma shrugged "What can I say? I have my father's tact." She smirked echoing the Dark One's earlier words.

"You do, but that can also be a good thing, you have the right tact for dealing with people who need help. You may have felt slightly uncomfortable doing it at the start, but you've really come into your own. I'm so proud of you, Emma."

"What do I get from you?" she asked her face slightly red from the compliment.

Mary Margret chuckled, "Other than my chin?" she joked. "You have my resourcefulness, you can be ruthless when you need to be, you're an amazing leader who gives people hope, and you give people countless chances because you choose to see the best in people no matter what, even if it means having to sacrifice yourself." She listed. She tucked an errant curl behind Emma's ear.

Emma thought about the time her dream was mimicking, when she had never felt more alone, and felt blessed that she got to have this amount of love now.

"Sweetheart, I know you don't like being here, but I promise you this isn't like the other times you were in hospital. We're here with you, you'll never have to go through that sort of thing again." She gently brushed a strand of hair away from Emma's face, she looked as her daughter's eyes, which were identical to her own, looked up at her with love and she couldn't ignore the mother's intuition that there was more to it than that. "Emma, there's more to this than you're letting on, you can tell me."

"I- there's not" Emma stuttered.

"Emma. I'm your mother, I know you better than you seem to think." She smiled encouragingly.

"I just miss us all being together." She gave her mother a sad smile. "I know it's only been a few days and I should be used to it but…"

Mary Margret touched her daughter's cheek lovingly "I understand, I miss it also, and I'm sure the boys miss it too. We'll all be together soon; by tomorrow night you'll be tucked in your own bed again."

Emma smiled at the thought but then her smile faltered. "But without Henry, he told me that Regina wanted him to stay with her while I'm ill."

"Which is understandable."

"Yeah I know." Emma admitted. "And I guess it's not like he's banned from coming around at all."

"Exactly." Mary Margret said, fully intending to make sure that was followed through with. "Emma? You know that your father would be here today if he could, right?"

"Yeah, I know." Emma reply, although she was slightly less confident than she was earlier on.

*OUAT*

Mary Margret saw Ruby's face appear outside of Emma's door. "Stay here." She told Emma before going to talk to her friend.

"Ruby? What's going on, where's David?" She asked worriedly.

"He's just back at the station, we haven't had any luck finding George so far, but Regina thinks that she might had narrowed the list of his accomplices down, and since David knew George better than any of us…"

"He's helping her." Mary Margret finished.

"Yeah, he said he was going to text you…"

She pulled out her phone and sure enough she had a text message from her husband, "I must have muted it by accident." She said.

"Anyway, I'm here to sit with Emma until he can get here. Granny would have kept Neal, but as we're all trying to appear as normal as possible until we can find George… And it was agreed that I'm more likely to hang out with Emma in hospital." She smirked.

Mary Margret laughed and pulled her into a hug, "Well, on your head be it."

*OUAT*

"I can't believe they got me a babysitter." Emma sulked.

"To be fair, your mom _did_ find you on your laptop, trying to find blueprints to the hospital. Is it really any wonder she didn't want you to be alone while she had to get Neal and your dad got here?"

"I'm thirty!" Emma protested, apparently her mother had filled Ruby in on what she had done, or perhaps it was her father who told her.

"You're still their kid."

"You know Ruby, you're close to Franken-Doc, maybe you could put a good word in for me? I'm going to be discharged tomorrow anyway, so what's the point of delaying it a few more hours? I'm much better I don't even need the oxygen mask anymore! If you convince him, I could be ready to go by the time my Dad gets here." Emma reasoned.

"Oh no you don't! You are not getting me in trouble!"

"You wouldn't get in any trouble! Only I would." Emma protested.

Ruby started to laugh, only to be glared at by Emma. "Emma, when your mom was pregnant with you, you wouldn't stop kicking her. There were a couple of months where you wouldn't stop at all, all day and all night, or at least that's what she claimed. Once she and David had been assured that there was nothing wrong with you, that you were healthy just a little overactive, she relaxed slightly. She'd often end up being kept awake by them, David tried to tell her to wake him too but she didn't listen to him. In the end she'd wake me up instead just so she'd have someone to talk to, one night you were kicking her a lot, she couldn't get a spare second to rest. So I told you to stop it. You decided, apparently, to kick more. I, however, was the one who got an hour long lecture from your mother."

"Oh my god." Emma said, covering her face as she tried to hide the blush which was spreading across them. She though it was kind of funny that her mother defending her, even then.

"What's going on?"

She looked towards the door when she heard her father's voice and saw him standing in the doorway, soaking wet, but smiling at her. "Dad." Emma's face lit up despite her efforts against it.

"Hey Em" He replied "So what's up?"

But before Emma had time to respond to his question Ruby spoke.

"Emma kicked Mary Margret." Red replied simply, a smirk was on her face.

Emma grimaced behind her hands, knowing what would come next.

"You did what!?" Charming exclaimed disbelieving that Emma would do such a thing.

"Oh god," Emma muttered, "this is gonna be a long night."

"Oh, you didn't think I meant right now, did you?" Ruby ask in an innocent tone but with a knowing smile. "When Mary Margret was pregnant with Emma and she blamed me for Emma kicking her more than usual."

David took his shoes off while Ruby spoke, before stepping fully into the room, he had changed into some cleaner ones while he was at the station, but even the walk from the cruiser to the hospital door had soaked this shoes. He peeled off his coat, he knew it wouldn't be long before he would be able to get changed, he wanted to say hi to his daughter first though. "I'd forgotten about that!" David exclaimed with glee, "When she came back to bed-"

"I don't think I want to know this bit." Emma said with a grimace.

"When she came back to bed," David continued, "she also started to blame me, I then suggested that it was something you got from her…"

Emma sucked in some breath between her teeth, which made her cough.

"I know; not my best idea." David said once Emma had her breath back, "Thanks for keeping Emma company Ruby."

"No problem, I should get going now though, I have a thing. I hope you feel better soon Emma." She grinned and gave her a hug.

"Be careful, it wouldn't surprise me if we had a storm soon." David warned Ruby. His face turned to a smirk "Although I guess you could just shake the water off."

Ruby rolled her eyes and punched him playfully in the shoulder. "Hilarious." She dead panned.

"Ow! Werewolf strength Rubes." David complained as he rubbed his shoulder.

Emma started to laugh and they both turned to look at her.

"You're meant to be on my side, Em." David said with a mocking pout.

Emma shrugged. "Well, you deserved it."

"She's right." Ruby teased, she pulled her friend into a quick hug.

"Be careful." He whispered to her.

She pulled out of the hug, nodded to him, then exited the room with a wave to the both of them.

*OUAT*

David stood by Emma's side, "I would give you a hug, but I'm a touch wet." He joked.

"It's okay." Emma said, then quickly covered her mouth to hide a yawn.

David grabbed one of the plastic chairs from next to the table and pulled it next to Emma's bed. "I don't want to get the other one soak." He explained when he sat and Emma was looking at him as if he were bizarre. "I'm sorry I couldn't be here earlier kiddo." He apologised quietly.

"It's okay." Emma shrugged.

"Your mom told me about your dream." Emma quirked an eyebrow. "She was worried about you so she spoke to me." He defended with a smile, he was pleased to see Emma nod in reluctant acceptance. "You know, before you were born we filled your nursery with about a million toys. And your mother commissioned the unicorn mobile to be built: the best glassblower in the entirety of the Enchanted Forest to create it. "

Emma smiled, imploring him to continue.

"But I wanted to give you something extra special. One day I happened to be near the town I lived close to."

"The one from your school story?"

"The very same." He smiled. "I decided to take a walk through it as we had time to spare and I looked a lot different than I had when I had lived there so no one would be able to guess that I wasn't really Prince James. I came across a toyshop, it was rather small, but when I stepped foot in it I saw it had the most beautiful and skilfully made toys. I saw behind the counter a man, my age, stitching up a soft toy bear. He stood up as soon as he saw me approach him, it was only then that I realised it was one of the boys I went to school with, he wasn't one of my best friends, but we were civil."

"What did you do?" Emma breathed sleepily.

"I told him to treat me as he would any other customer." David answered "I also asked him if he had made anymore of the bears, he and his partner would design and hand stitch these beautiful bears. I asked if he would be able to design one for my child who was soon to be born, I assured him that he would be paid handsomely in return. I didn't tell your mother about it until the bear arrived, it was just a simple brown bear similar to some which roamed in the outers of the Enchanted Forest, I was convinced that you would have your mother's eyes, so this bear had emerald green ones as well. I wanted it to be simple so that you would stay rooted, I didn't come from the world of pomp, and when I met your mother she wasn't living in it either. We wanted you to stay humble."

David was surprised to see that Emma had already fallen asleep, she moved slightly in her sleep, her hand pulled the blankets closer to her. He smiled when he saw that the one she had grabbed was the one which was hidden under the rest, the one she had been sent into this world wrapped in.

"We needn't have worried, you turned out just perfect, and you always would have." He whispered. He pulled the hospital blanket fully over her as well, then decided he'd grab a shower and get changed.

*OUAT*

Emma awoke with a frown on her face.

"You know; you don't have to be here. I'm an adult, I don't need you here."

"And give you another chance of getting out of the hospital? Yeah, I don't think so." David raised an eyebrow, incredulous that Emma would be trying this, yet again, but also wondering where her outburst came from.

"Then just get one of the nurses or something to check on me. You don't have to be here. Go spend some time with your family, or go check in on whatever it was you were doing at work." Emma plastered a fake smile onto her face certain she would convince her father. She shivered and pulled the blanket closer to her.

David frowned, he took in Emma's smile, if he didn't know her he would have fallen for it, and he may even have left her. But, unluckily for Emma, he did know her. "Hey." he said firmly. "They're your family too. Is this because I wasn't here this morning?"

"No." Emma muttered twirling her hands in each other.

"Em." David sighed and placed a calming hand onto Emma', he held firmly on, even as she tried to pull away. "Emma." He said again, firmer this time, Emma stopped struggling. David took one of her hands in each of his down, and brushed her knuckles with his thumbs. "Emma, I'm sorry I couldn't be here earlier on, I promise you I would have been if I could. I enjoy nothing more than spending time with you, and with your mother, brother, and son, but something came up at work I had to handle.

David pressed a kiss onto Emma's forehead, he frowned and pulled one of his hands out of Emma's hold. He held the back of his hand to Emma's forehead, he felt her eyebrow's furrow, as the heat radiated off. David sighed, the temperature raising again would explain Emma becoming emotional, and her mind manipulating her beliefs of the real reason he wasn't there. "Oh kiddo, you're burning up, I'm going to go get a nurse." He started to stand up.

"No. Stay, please." Emma pleaded and clung to his hands, her voice was dripping with anxiety.

David was worried at the quick turnaround of Emma not wanting, then wanting, him there, he cursed himself for not checking her temperature earlier – sure she was in a hospital and was having it checked by the staff, but wasn't it his job to check as well? As her parent. "Okay, I'll stay." David moved one of his hands to cup her cheek, but she held the other one firmly. "I just need my other hand so I can press the button, okay?"

Emma watched David carefully as he reached for the button above her head, she heard the gentle click of the button being pressed then her father's hand lovingly stroking her hair. She shivered and moved closer to David, seeking warmth. She became vaguely aware of a nurse entering and the vibration of her father's deep voice filling the room.

"Hello Emma, let's get that temperature off you, shall we?" the nurse said gently to her as he held the thermometer in his hand.

Emma shook her head and shivered again, she just wanted to sleep.

"Emma," David commanded using his 'dad' voice, "open your mouth, we need to get your temperature."

Emma looked up at her father and waited defiantly but David held her gaze, slowly she opened her mouth.

While they waited for the thermometer to sound, the nurse wrote Emma's observations down, David moved to sit beside Emma, he didn't lean back against the tilted head of the bed but put his arm around Emma, Emma's eyes fluttered shut and she moved even closer to her father. Emma kept her eyes closed even when the nurse took the thermometer out of Emma's mouth and frowned at the number on the face.

"What is it?" David asked the man, his voice was full of concern yet he kept it quiet to try not disturb Emma.

The nurse maintained his composure and smiled with a kind confidence at the prince. "It's a bit higher than we'd like it, at 103, but she's due a dose of medicine now any so that'll take it down. Not to worry, Mr Nolan, she'll be feeling better within the hour."

David couldn't help but feel put at ease by the man and his calm demeanour. He watched as the man managed to coax Emma into taking her tablets without argument, and felt thoroughly impressed, although Emma was half asleep. The door clicked closed quietly, but somehow still startled Emma from her approaching-sleep-state. David wasn't sure why he was surprised by this, after all, Emma was very much her mother's daughter. "Shhh," David soothed as he stroked her hair, "it's okay sweetie, go to sleep." He started to move from her side, on the bed to a chair, so that she would be more comfortable.

Emma grabbed his hand, "Stay." She said sleepily, not even bothering to open her eyes.

David settled back against the headboard and placed his arm back around Emma. "Okay, kiddo, I'm here."

*OUAT*

Later that night, David frowned down at the text on his phone, having received yet another text telling him that there was no sign of George. He sent one back to the group to thank them and ask them to meet Ruby and Regina in the morning at the station the next day. He was planning on staying home the next day as Emma would be getting home, that way he'd be able to protect all his family, and it seemed like Emma needed some time with all of them.

"Dad?" Emma asked timidly, having seen David looking at his phone, yet again. "You would tell me if there was something wrong, wouldn't you?"

David stopped for a second. "I would tell you if there were something going on which only you could handle." He said purposely avoiding the actual question. "But, Emma, there's nothing going on which only you can sort out. The only thing you need to do right now, is focus on getting better." He smiled.

Emma nodded, almost to herself, and tried to stifle a yawn. She noticed the wording of her father's answer, but trusted him, and trusted that he would tell her eventually.

David smiled warmly at her, "Actually, I take that back, the only thing you need to do _right now_ , is get some sleep."

Emma rolled her eyes at David's jokey voice, but didn't protest when he pulled the cover's up so that they were completely covering her. "I will, on one condition." She put on her best 'royal' sounding voice.

David chuckled at the sound of her voice, and couldn't help but envisage Emma doing the same thing as a child in the Enchanted Forest. He raised an eyebrow at his daughter and put on a face of mock-suspicion. "Oh? And what is your condition, Princess Emma?" he teased.

Emma glared jokily at her father, but then smiled at the thought that she _was_ actually a princess, the thought was just so bizarre to her. "Could you read me some more of that book?"

"I would love to." David smiled at the shy sounding request. He found it kind of adorable that when Emma was ill she'd let her walls down, and as much as it terrified him, even without George being on the run, he liked that she was comfortable enough with he and Mary Margret to pull them down and ask for to spend more time with her; to watch movies and read books: the sort of things she missed out on as a child.


	11. Chapter 11

_Emma was once again in a hospital bed. She grimaced when she heard the mewling cry this time instead of looking first for the baby, she looked down at her wrist: sure enough there was the cold metal handcuff. She fought the panic rising within her. 'A dream,' she reminded herself, 'it's just a dream.' She pulled her arm towards her, she hoped that by reminding herself that it was a dream, she would be able to gain control over the content, but no matter how hard she pulled she didn't come free. The crying got louder, and Emma's pulling became stronger and fitful. All of a sudden, the handcuff came free of the bed, and disappeared off her wrist. Emma scrambled off of the bed, the bed sheets tangled around her legs, they attempted to trip her up as she reached for the crying baby. She scooped the baby into her arms. She almost found it hard to believe that she was in a dream, everything was just so… so real. The room was identical to the one which she gave birth in, over a decade ago, and Henry looked exactly the same as he did in her memories. But even while he was in her arms, Henry continued to cry. "It's okay, I'm here." Emma shushed. She carefully brought him to her chest and his cheek rested against hers. Emma rocked him slightly, she moved her hand to carefully cradle his head, but instead of being met with the downy newborn's hair all that her hands met were the bundle of blankets. Her neck snapped down, instead of seeing Henry, all that was in her hands was a bundle of blankets. Henry was nowhere in sight. Her head darted around, frantically searching the room for him. "Henry! Henry!" she screamed frantically. She dropped the blankets and ran to where the crib now stood in the corner. As much as she ran the crib it seemed to be the same distance away, all the while she continued to scream for her son even as her voice turned hoarse, after what seemed like hours later she reached it. All that was inside the crib was a piece of paper, the paper which Emma signed about fourteen years ago, the termination of parental rights over her son._

*OUAT*

"Henry." Emma said quietly as she woke up. She shot upright when she saw that she was in a hospital still, it took her a second to wake up some more and to notice that her father was with her, asleep on the couch. Part of her wanted David to wake up, to notice that something was wrong, but he carried on sleeping, his quiet breathing filled the room. The more dominant part of Emma, however, didn't want her father to wake up; she knew that if she told him about her dream, he'd just say something to make her feel better, whether he was right about what he was saying or not. She didn't feel in the mood to be comforted though, or to be given fake assurances, she was much more in the mood to wallow in her own unhappiness.

The door creaked open letting a stream of yellow tainted light into the room. "Yes, sir, I'm at her room now." An unfamiliar voice said, still outside in the corridor.

Emma frowned unsure who the man was talking to, she didn't like the way he was talking though, in fact she wasn't sure if she'd be able to protect herself if he was up to something. She decided it'd be best if she just played possum. She quickly leaned back against the bed, and mostly closed her eyes, but made sure to keep them open a slither so she could see who it was who spoke.

The man had short, almost military hair, and although Emma couldn't make out most of his features, she could make out one; a large scar in the form of an indent ran down from his forehead, down his eye, to his jaw.

"No, sir, the shepherd's still here. Yes, sir, understood." The man whispered, in a gravely tone, then backed out of the room; leaving the room in darkness behind him. "Yes, I agree sir, plan B it is, I'll let him know now."

Before Emma had a chance to contemplate who the man was, she drifted back to sleep.

*OUAT*

_Emma stood at the door to the loft, the number three on the door was polished to a near mirror shine, she couldn't help but feel that it was out of place for the ordinary loft; which much suited the matt brass which had been on the door for three decades. It even felt out of place before Emma noticed that the number was hanging upside down. She placed her palm on the green door, and it swung open._

_The scene which met her eyes was not the usual one, however, there was no sign of the loft which had only changed slightly since Emma had first moved in. Inside was a large room with archways with wooden pillars leading off to, what Emma could only assume were, yet more parts of the room. The smoothed stone walls were beige, but were warm and homely, especially in contrast to the sterile hospital walls. There was a multi-coloured rug which was plush under her feet as Emma walked forward. Between her and a balcony, surrounded by circular stained glass windows, stood a wooden crib - above which hung a mobile made of glass unicorns._

_It was Emma's nursery. Or, at least, it should have been Emma's nursery._

_All around the room were toys, so many Emma couldn't even count them. She had assumed she was in the Enchanted Forest, so was surprised to see stuff animals that were around in the Land-Without-Magic, but the more she thought, she realised she had seen them when she was in the nursery with her mother; but had been too overwhelmed to pay proper attention: 'guarding' the room were giant lions, and tigers and…_

" _Oh my…" Emma trailed off she as walked towards the wooden crib: there was the bear David had told her about. The light from candles in the room hit the bear's emerald eyes, and before she knew it Emma had picked up the bear._

" _Turn around slowly and we'll let you live." A voice growled at her, so familiar, yet completely foreign to her._

_She slowly turned around, her hands were in the air the bear still clutched in one of them, she came face to face with a sword, and an arrow being pointed at her: her parents were holding the weapons with threatening looks on their faces._

" _Who are you?" her mother asked her bluntly._

" _And be aware, we will know if you are lying to us." Her father threatened._

_Emma could have joked that she was very much aware of that fact, after all they realised that she was lying at least eighty percent of the times, but she didn't. She felt as though her heart had been ripped out.  
"Mom? Dad?" she could hear her voice was barely filling the room, yet she didn't feel confident enough to speak any louder. "It's me. Its... it's Emma, your daughter."_

" _You're not our daughter." She wasn't sure which one of them spoke, or even if either of them moved their lips, the words were enough to break her heart._

" _This is, it's my room." She stuttered._

" _This is our son's room." David replied harshly. It was only then she realised that he wasn't in his Enchanted Forest attire, neither of them were, which only made the dream more realistic._

" _I think I remember the name Emma." Mary Margret said to David. "We gave her up, so we could have our happy ending, so we could have Neal."_

_Her parents wouldn't have even called him 'Neal' if they hadn't known her, deep down she knew this, she knew it wasn't real… but why did it hurt so much?_

" _I remember that." David confirmed, his voice turned to a sneer. "She wasn't fit to be a princess, or to be our daughter."_

_Mary Margret finally turned back to look at Emma, her bow was still pointed at Emma, the string still pulled back with an arrow aiming at Emma's heart._

" _No," Emma protested weakly, "you were giving me my best chance."_

_David snorted scathingly "We just told you that to sooth our own guilt, but then we realised it wasn't our fault."_

" _It was yours." Mary Margret finished. "You weren't good enough for us, and you never will be. And we will not have you ruining our happy ending now."_

_She felt as though huge, red, flashing lights were going off in her head, it wasn't right, none of this dream was right… but it felt so real. All of a sudden, her head went quiet. She stumbled backwards, she slid down with her back against the crib, she could feel the soft fur of the teddy bear in her hand- her dad was right it was keeping her grounded. She watched the red pool out of her chest, she could see the sword and arrow still stuck in her chest. She felt herself fade out._

*OUAT*

Emma jerked awake. She pressed her hands to her chest, she could feel the tight pain as she tried to steady her breathing, but it was a contrast to the fading feeling from her dream. She brought her hands away from her chest and was relieved to see that it wasn't tinged with red. David continued to sleep in the corner of the room, but Emma had no intention to be falling back asleep anytime soon, instead she grabbed her phone from the side table. It wasn't even six am, Emma was annoyed to find, instead she messaged Henry to wish him a good day at school and that she'd see him as soon as she could. She watched as the time clicked by slowly, she busied herself by playing the odd few games she had on her phone, eventually she watched the time on her phone hit six am. She wished that she still had her laptop with her, then at least she'd be able to distract herself, maybe she'd even be able to see what was going on at the station yesterday; but Mary Margret had taken it with her, she claimed it would be easier for when Emma went home later on that day: but Emma was sure it was because her mother didn't trust her with it. Her mind was still preoccupied with her dream. It wasn't… it _couldn't_ be true… could it? She just wanted to go home, but that was also kind of the last thing she wanted to do, she didn't want to be stuck around her parents. She wanted to go back to work, she wanted to spend time with Henry… but would he want to spend time with her? Did he have doubts about her wanting him? Did he ever resent her? Did she resent her parents? No, of course she didn't… well not really. She felt as though she was at war with herself, she didn't normally feel like this, even when her mother was pregnant with Neal she felt more secure... 'It was just a stupid dream." She reminded herself.

"Hey."

Emma jumped at her father's voice, she looked over at him to see him now sat up on the couch, the smirk on his face too closely resembled the look on his face in her dream. she looked away before she could see him change his look into one of concern. "Hey." She muttered back.

David stood up and stretched, he was so looking forward to being able to sleep in his own bed again, though he knew he wouldn't sleep restfully until they had caught George. He walked over to sit on the chair next to Emma's bed once more, his main concern at that moment was if Emma was okay, and by the looks of it she wasn't. "You okay, kiddo?" he asked in a careful tone.

"Yeah I'm fine." Emma said tightly.

"You sure? You're up pretty early," He tried to sound as casual as possible he didn't want to push her too much, "did you have another bad dream?"

"I'm fine." Emma said, her tone unchanged. "I'm not tired 'cause I'm feeling better." She started to pull the blankets away from her. "I'm going to get changed." She answered David's unasked question, before she walked into the bathroom with her change of clothes.

*OUAT*

David lent back against his chair with a sigh. Emma was most definitely not fine. He picked up his phone and hit the first number on his speed dial.

"Hey David, you're calling early, is everything okay? Is Emma okay?" Mary Margret asked quickly.

"Oh no, no don't worry, she's okay. Well, mostly." David suddenly regretted calling just yet, maybe he was just freaking out over nothing.

"You're not making me feel very reassured." She said dryly. "David, what's wrong?"

"It's probably nothing…" he ran his hand through his hair.

"…. But you have a bad feeling?" Mary Margret guessed.

David simply nodded. He remembered that she wouldn't be able to see him. "Yeah, I do." He confirmed.

"Okay, so tell me what's up."

"Emma's really quiet, she was up before I was, she's claiming she's fine and that she feels better."

"Did she have a bad dream?"

David could hear the concern in his wife's voice too, apparently he was right to be worried. "I asked her that, but she just claimed that she was fine. Mary Margret, it might just be nothing, she's not the most talkative in the mornings as it is."

"David, if your instincts are telling you that something is wrong, I trust them. You're her father, you know her better than most people, and you're probably right about this."

David said nothing, clearly his wife's mind was already made up.

"So she didn't actually deny it." Mary Margret sighed as she thought back to what David said. "I'll come to the hospital earlier then, maybe we'll be able to get her to talk before we come home, as long as Whale clears her to come home that is."

"I think he will, when I spoke to him last he seemed pretty intent on getting Emma out here as soon as possible, I'm sure the feeling's likewise for Em." David joked.

"Where is Emma, by the way? Are you in the corridor?" she tried to keep the worry out of her voice, she knew David wouldn't put either of their children in danger, at least not on purpose.

"Don't worry, she's getting changed in the bathroom, I think she's coming out now." He watched as the door handle of the room go down, Emma rubbed her eyes as she walked into the room, she shivered as she walked back into the main room. For whatever reason she had neglect to take any of the borrowed hoodies with her to change, even as she walked further into the room she didn't pick one up to change into. "Hey, Em, your mom's on the phone, you want to say hi to her?" he smiled welcomingly at her.

Emma looked like she was stuck between a rock and a hard place, eventually she nodded and took his proffered cell off of him.

As Emma talked quietly on the phone to Mary Margret, David busied himself by retrieving the jacket he was sure his wife had left Emma to wear. Sure enough, in the small cupboard was a grey hoody which Emma was often stealing, he felt perplexed as why should wouldn't be wearing it, he walked back over to the bed where Emma sat and waited for her to finish talking to Mary Margret.

*OUAT*

David was at the end of his tether. He'd already argued with Emma that she needed to put the jacket on, she only agreed because she was unable to argue anymore when she was shivering so much her teeth were chattering. She was clearly, and understandably, exhausted, she had been told by nurses and the doctor throughout her stay in the hospital that she would get tired quickly and that she needed to rest. But David had been completely unable to convince her to sleep: she wouldn't even answer any questions about what time she had woke up, or if she _had_ had any bad dreams.

Emma now sat on top of her bed covers, she was fully dressed and had her bag next to her, she crossed her arms over her chest: she would have left the hospital already but her father had basically forbidden her from trying to discharge herself.  
"I don't need that: I'm going home soon." She told the nurse when she saw her bringing the food in.  
The nurse was one Emma had seen a fair amount in the few days which Emma had been a patient, she was maybe a couple of years older than Emma, and obviously had a crush on Emma's father. She suddenly remembered the strange man who walked into her room last night, she wasn't even sure if he was real, but there was a realness to him which wasn't like her dreams. If she hadn't noticed his orderly's uniform she might have woken her father, there was something about the man that made her uneasy, perhaps if she had woken her father she wouldn't have had that second dream. She shook her head minutely, she didn't want to think about her dreams, even if she could feel them slightly affecting her: the guilt from her first dream had silenced her, and the second one… the second one Emma knew wasn't logical, or at least she thought she did. She felt as though there was one part of her brain taking over, trying to convince her that it was realistic, somehow it was winning the fight. Now all she wanted to do was push them away, to put up her walls, and to run away from everything and everyone.

"Actually, she will have it, thank you." David told the nurse politely as he shot her his trademark charming smile.

Emma stiffened at David's tone, although he had made it sound pleasant enough, she knew that he was very clearly unhappy with Emma.

The nurse, however, didn't seem to notice the hardness beneath David's tone, instead she placed the tray down on the table and giggled at David as she blushed, completely ignoring Emma.

Emma stared at the door in disgust, she had never understood the embarrassment that children and teenagers complained about when strangers flirted with their parents, until now. Now she understood, it was just something that didn't seem right, it was something she didn't want to know about happening, let alone right in front of her eyes.

"Emma, just because you woke up on the wrong side of the bed, does not mean you get to take it out on anyone else." David said firmly. "I've already told you, you are only getting out of here when Whale discharges you."

"Why does he even have to do it? Can't a nurse or someone do it?" Emma all but whined.

"Whale knows more about your treatment than anyone else does, even though I'm not his biggest fan, I'd rather he gives you the all clear than anyone else." David said gently, "Whale needs to discharge you so we can get an idea of a treatment plan for you, also we need to make sure you don't need any follow up appointments." He was aware that he was simply repeating himself, and that Emma was no more likely to accept his statement than she did the previous times, but she was obviously tired and something was clearly bugging her; so he was working hard to keep his patience. "Why don't you eat your breakfast, your mom will be here soon, maybe she'll be able to distract you."

"I'm not a child," Emma grumbled "I do not need my mom to 'keep me distracted'."

"Could have fooled me." David muttered as he wheeled her tray over to her.  
Judging from the glare, which would have no one doubting who Emma's parents were, he was not nearly as quiet as he thought. He hoped she'd be distracted by her breakfast enough to momentarily halt her eagerness to leave, and hopefully it would ease her bad mood slightly, David couldn't help but feel that Emma was acting similar to how Neal acted when he was having a bad day. David had also noticed Emma had been eating far less than usual while she was in the hospital, whether that was because she wasn't a fan of the hospital food, or if she wasn't as hungry due to being ill; David was worried.  
"Here you go, Em," he uncovered the tray to reveal cereal, toast, and a piece of fruit, "I'll get you some juice to go with this." He said with a smile.

"No."

"No?" David sighed wearily, he had hoped that she would have gone through this without an argument, but evidentially not.

"No." Emma confirmed not looking at her father. "I'm not going to eat it, I don't need it if I'm going home, and I'm not hungry."

"Emma, you need to eat some of it." David said with an air of finality.

"No." Emma repeated. She actually didn't feel hungry, and although she was sure she might have been able to force herself to at least try some of the toast, she felt inclined to argue.

"You will be eating your breakfast, young lady, or you will not be leaving here today." David commanded in his 'dad' voice, he tried to reign in his temper, but found it very hard to keep control as he was overwhelmed with worry. He could only drop his mouth open in shock when Emma looked away to stare at the wall, normally she would at least listen to him when he used that voice, normally she would talk to him about why she didn't want to do something: but today? Today she was completely closed off, he felt at a loss as to what to do, he couldn't help but wish Mary Margret was there.

*OUAT*

Emma could feel her blood boiling in her body. She was just so tired of everything. It was bad enough she had to go to the hospital at all, let alone having been stuck in there for four days. She hated absolutely everything: being constantly stuck in one room, the constant check by nurses, Whale's patronising and infuriating visits, the horrible food, even when her parents bought her some other food she wasn't hungry enough to eat it.

Then there was the pain, she had the usual tightness in her chest which went hand in hand with bad asthma, but this time it was amplified, she could feel how shallow her breaths were – even when she tried to take deep breaths she could still feel the tight sting. Not to mention the ache in her chest and stomach ached from overuse.

She was just so tired.

But most of all she was tired with how she had been taking a lot off it out on her parents. She hated that she didn't feel secure enough to stay in the hospital, she hated the dream which made her want to, and try to, run away. She hated the dreams, how they made her feel so weak, she hated that she was watching herself become closed off again.

All she could do was to hold her breath, so to speak, and wait for her parents to give up on her. For them to decide it was all too much for them, that she was too much.

She carried on glaring at the hospital wall, she hated so much, as she tried to control her emotions. Focusing on being silent and still as the tears rolled down her face. She wasn't sure if her father could see her. Or if he would care.

She was so caught up in her own thoughts, she didn't notice David staring at the back of her head, or Mary Margret entering the room.

*OUAT*

Mary Margret felt relieved when she didn't hear David and Emma arguing down the almost silent corridor. The corridor had become rather familiar to her now, it was one of the quieter ones in the hospital, Emma had clearly been made one of the top priority due to the severity and unpredictability of her illness. Mary Margret had rung Doctor Whale the previous night to confirm that Emma would, in fact, be coming home today. Although he said he would have preferred a patient in Emma's condition to stay for a day or two more, he was aware that the stress of being in hospital was not helping Emma's asthma in the slightest.

So in the early hours of the morning, when Mary Margret couldn't sleep any longer, she set about making some cakes to take in and say thank you to the nurses. She also made sure that Emma's room was ready for her to sleep in, and that it was dust free, so not to trigger another attack. She even made an extra cake for Ruby and Granny as a thank you for: looking after Neal, for helping on the search for George, and payment for Ruby giving Mary Margret a lift into the hospital that morning.

As she diligently delivered the cakes, she noticed an unfamiliar man wearing a porter's uniform looking through the window into Emma's room, she frowned slightly as he continued to walk passed her toward the main bit of the hospital: but thought nothing more about the man, and his scarred face, as she walked through the door into Emma's room.

*OUAT*

The man held his cell phone to his ear, his spare hand brushed his scar almost subconsciously, eventually the call clicked through and he could hear the breathing of the other man down the phone. "Her mother's in the room with her now, sir, she's exactly where you want her." The man on the other end of the phone replied shortly before hanging up.

And the man with the scar left the hospital.

*OUAT*

"Good morning Emma," Mary Margret greeted with a smile as she entered the room, "good morning David." Her smile slid as she realised that Emma was looking in the opposite direction of the room that she and David were on.

She watched as David spun around to face her, she could see his shoulders relax slightly, but he continued to a look of absolute fear on his face. He uncrossed his arms and walked over to her.

Mary Margret took hold of his hand and squeezed it comfortingly. "What happened?"

David let his mouth hang open as he shrugged, "I don't… I don't know, she's been distant and on edge all morning. I told her she had to eat her breakfast otherwise she won't be allowed home. The next thing I knew she was like this.", he nodded his head towards Emma.

Mary Margret nodded, she leant up on her tiptoes at pressed a kiss to David's lips. She had seen Emma close up before, a while ago, just after Graham had died. Despite everything she had tried, Emma had stayed closed up, luckily that experience had taught Mary Margret what she needed to do now. She needed to get a reaction of any kind out of Emma. She nodded, determinedly, at David. "We're going to get to the bottom of this."

Mary Margret tapped Emma on the shoulder, she watched Emma jump at the contact, wipe her face, and turn in the general direction of Mary Margret. "Have you finished sulking?" Mary Margret asked, keeping her resolve.

"I'm not sulking." Emma muttered, she could only see her mother's shoes as she refused to look up, she wondered how long she had been in the room for and why she hadn't noticed her get in there: unless this was yet again part of her dream.

"Yes you are." Mary Margret disagreed. "Let your father and I know when you've finished, and we'll talk to you." She moved back towards her husband, who simply looked at her confused, she shook her head telling him to wait a second. As soon as she heard Emma scoff, she stopped and turned back to face her daughter.

"I'm not a child." The blonde muttered angrily, she still didn't meet her parent's faces.

"I'm well aware that you're not." Mary Margret said, not unkindly, "However, you are acting like one. So when you stop acting like one, your father and I will stop treating you like one." She pursed her lips, she could see that Emma still had tear tracks going down her face, she knew she just needed a catalyst to tell them what was going on in her head.

"WHY CAN'T YOU JUST LEAVE ME ALONE ALREADY?!" Emma exploded, the second half of her sentence only just understandable through her cough.

Mary Margret took a step in shock, her back was now pressed against David's chest and she felt him tense up at Emma's outburst. It was not what they were expecting at all. Had they not just spent the past four days proving to Emma that they cared about her beyond belief, that they would do anything for her? They automatically took each other's hand, and interlocked their fingers, they walked further towards Emma's bed.

"You're going to anyway, I get it, just…" Emma trailed off. She hadn't meant to say her thoughts out loud, she wished she could somehow shove them all back in… but she couldn't, so instead she stared at her bed covers, and waited for the footsteps to tell her that her parents had left as she attempted to quell an oncoming panic attack.

"Emma. Look at us please." David requested kindly.

It took her a couple of minutes, but eventually Emma turned her head towards her parents, she briefly glanced at their faces but rapidly looked back down. She felt David's fingers under her chin, and gently push it up. she looked at them properly this time. She almost couldn't understand, or believe, the concern that was practically radiating off of them.

Mary Margret took the opportunity to take Emma's hand into her own, and she began to rub her thumb against Emma's knuckles, matching the rhythm that David was doing the action to her own hand.

Emma saw her own face reflected in David's pupils which were surrounded by a sea of blue. She could see the desperation for something in his eyes as he started to talk.

"We're not leaving you Emma. No matter what." He promised, he willed her to believe him.

She felt as though the weight of the world had been lifted from her shoulders, she surged forwards burying her face in her father's shoulder, and hoped that he wouldn't notice the tears soaking through his shirt. She wrapped one arm around him, and the other around her mother, tears of relief now filled her eyes as she felt them both wrap their arms around her too.

"Sweetheart, your dad's right," Mary Margret stoked her hair with one hand, "we aren't going away. We're never leaving you. We know that being in hospital brings back memories, and we're sorry you had to go through that, but that's never going to happen again."

Emma gave a small nod.

"Sweetie," Mary Margret started a few minutes later, "what made you feel like this?"

"I… I had a stupid dream." Emma mumbled, finally moving away from her parent's embrace.

"Tell us about it." David commanded.

"I was outside the loft…" Emma began, she decided to tell them only about the one that concerned them, after all there wouldn't be much they could do about her dream about Henry: only he would be able to help her with that one.

*OUAT*

"Emma," David brushed his along Emma's cheek, wiping away any stray tears, "this dream you had, did it feel unlike any you had before?"

Emma frowned at him, her nose scrunched up slightly, she rubbed her lips together as she tried to remember the dream which seemed to be fading from her mind all of a sudden. "Kind of, but then… it's like I knew it was wrong, but I wasn't allowed to think otherwise?" She felt ridiculous even saying it out loud all of a sudden.

Mary Margret noticed the serious look on David's face. "David?"

David shared a silent conversation with his wife, he waited to see her look with dread at what he had conveyed to her, then he turned back to Emma. "Emma, we have to tell you about something. It's to do with King George…"


	12. Chapter 12

"And I think I know one of the people King George has working for him." David sighed. "When I was pretending to be my brother, George tried to keep me naïve as to how he kept his power. I was merely meant to be a pawn in his game, to foster a relationship between myself and Kathryn, to gain him wealth and even more power than he already had."

"Kathryn as in Abigail, right?" Emma said with slight distaste, she wasn't the biggest fan of her in Storybrooke, the smallest possible part of her that wanted to believe what Henry had told her didn't like the fact she was what was keeping David away from Mary Margret, and had completely avoided her since the curse was broken.

"She was just as trapped as I was, Em," David smiled at Emma's slightly embarrassed look, he thought it was pretty adorable that Emma stuck up for her parents and their love, "she wanted to be with her true love as much as I did. But before I _disobeyed_ George's wishes, I learnt some of what George was up to. There was a man, Robert, he was an illegitimate son of one of king George's kinsmen. Robert possessed abilities, he can manipulate peoples dreams make them see what he wants them to, that went hand in hand with his… sociopathy or whatever. He quickly became George's indirect way of controlling any adversaries."

"So I got tricked by some bloody Sandman, brilliant." Emma had never felt so stupid; how could she have fallen for something so… so stupid?

"No." David said firmly, "Emma, I've seen the people that George had him use that form of dark magic on, it was his favourite form of torture. I've seen the toughest warriors go up against that and come out much worse than you did. I know what you're thinking, and you aren't stupid, or weak; you're the opposite and you were brave enough to tell your mother and I what happened in your dreams: most people didn't. It'll be hard for that to be used on you now," he paused and took her hand, "as long as you talk to us about any dreams you have, we'll be able to help you." He inclined his head so he was facing Mary Margret slightly more. "If they are trying to get at Emma in this way, they probably think it's working."

"Which means they might not try something else." Mary Margret said with a hint of hope.

"Hopefully," David sent her an encouraging smile, "we'll keep her close by just in case, but this might buy us some time." He said slightly quieter.

"Why would they be trying to get to me?"

Mary Margret and David turned back to Emma, their eyes were wide, as though they had forgotten that Emma was there.

"Mom? Dad?" Emma asked in a quiet voice, the fear was sewn together with fake bravado, which was failing her the longer her parents were silent. "What's going on?"

Mary Margret looked at David quickly, he sent her a look as if to ask her if she was sure, she just nodded then took his hand.

David squeezed Mary Margret's hand. He temporarily took his hand back from Emma and instead placed it on the back of his wife's head; he leant forward and tenderly kissed her on the lips, for once Emma didn't make any noises of protest at her parent's displays of affection, when Mary Margret finally pulled back from her husband she nodded once more then turned back to Emma.

Mary Margret saw the fear on Emma's face appear once again at how her parents were acting, she squeezed David's hand, and in one fluid motion she and David took their daughter's hand.

"Emma," Mary Margret said, "how much do you know of the circumstances, from Henry's book, around your Grandma Ruth's passing?"

"That's your mom, right?" Emma asked David, trying to remember the story.

David smiled at her "Yeah, she was."

"She was attacked by George's knights, right?" Emma frowned. "You tried to save her, but she tricked, you," Emma replied to her mother's question, "into drinking the water, because you were poisoned."

"He poisoned me by making me infertile. George had always known that you father wanted children, that's why he was so hopeful that he and Kathryn would have an heir to both of their kingdoms, which would guarantee him unlimited wealth, and the chance to manipulate the child. Once David had opposed him, George set about getting his revenge, using your fathers greatest wish against him. He tried to stop me from having kids, obviously he failed- "

"-And while your mother and you were in the Enchanted Forest, he destroyed Jefferson's hat, he said he wanted to see my face when I realised I was never going to see my wife and daughter again." He could feel the muted anger that he had felt that night, thinking he'd lost his girls again – as soon as he had found them. He felt a smaller hand squeeze his right one.

"But you got us again." Emma reminded him, she daren't even think of the possibility of being stuck in the Enchanted Forest; not getting home, not being with Henry, never getting to know David as her father, Neal not being born…

"You're right," Mary Margret said encouragingly, "and we're not losing each other again. But, you _do_ see why we're worried, Emma?"

Emma nodded, but was clearly trying to put things in order in her head, trying to think of a plan to help her family.

"And why we're not letting you or Neal out of our sight," David rolled his eyes when he saw Emma raise her eyebrow, indicating the lack of Neal in the room, "starting as soon as we're home." He smirked.

Emma let out a small laugh which turned into a cough. "What do we do now?" Emma asked, wanting to get started on a plan, to find George, and keep her family safe.

David raised an eyebrow at Mary Margret, and watched her suppress a giggle. "Now, kiddo, we wait for Doctor Whale to discharge you." he told Emma.

"Can't we just go?" Emma practically whined.

This time Mary Margret couldn't contain her laugh, partially due to relief at not having to hide the truth about George from her daughter, and partially because of the familiarity of Emma's intentions and eagerness. Not that either David or Mary Margret had any more intention of letting Emma actually go outside on the hunt for George than they would let Neal, after all, she was still very ill.

"Sorry, Em, we need you to be discharged properly." David said sympathetically. He stood up from where he was perched on the bed and moved the over-bed table closer to Emma. "Here, why don't you try eat some of your breakfast." The 'offer' was more of an order and Emma, finally and begrudgingly, began to pick at her breakfast.

"I'll go get us some coffee," Mary Margret said quietly, as she started to walk to the door, David followed her, "I have a feeling we'll need some."

"Yeah, I think you might be right."

They both looked over at Emma who was gazing into her bowl of cereal, as if it held the secrets to life itself, before she started to pick at it; clearly not enjoying the cereal as it was not brightly coloured and full of sugar like her usual go to.

"How come I have the feeling that you're escaping to get coffee for a certain reason?" David narrowed his eyes accusatorily in a jokey manner.

"Because you have good instincts," Mary Margret teased light-heartedly, "I should be back by the time you've finally convinced her to eat her fruit." She smirked, she stood on her tiptoes and pressed a chaste kiss to his lips then quickly escaped from the room, before David could protest.

*OUAT*

David walked quickly back over to Emma, she crossed her arms over her chest, but he held a hand up before she could start her argument. He picked up the banana, along with the empty milk carton, and hastily threw them in the trash. "Don't tell your mother." He pleaded.

Emma gave him a wide smile and quickly nodded. "Is she seriously going to try make me eat healthily?" she asked hesitantly.

David gave a hearty laugh, "Afraid so, kiddo." he sat back down on the side of the bed, Emma seemed more concerned about her mother's healthy eating plan than having to come up with a plan to stop George. "She's just looking out for you: she wants to prevent you from getting ill."

"' _She'_?" Emma asked with a smirk, "Does that mean you're not going to force me to eat rabbit food?"

David smirked back "Eat your breakfast, Em."

*OUAT*

"I would be happier if you stayed in for another day," Whale said seriously, looking up from Emma's file, "but I can see you're not keen on that, and being somewhere where you're uncomfortable might slow your process."

"So you _will_ discharge me?" Emma asked, obviously not prepared to take no for an answer.

Whale glanced at David and Mary Margret, then he turned back to Emma, "Yes," he sighed, "I will discharge you. I'm going to prescribe you some medicines:"

Mary Margret and David stood to attention, listening to Whale as though they were about to be told the location of a holy grail; Emma on the other hand rolled her eyes, she knew that her parents were going to be over the top and protective when they heard the list of medicines.

"Prednisolone, six tablets three times a day- steroid tablets to bring the swelling down in your lungs which will help control your asthma while you're ill. I'll prescribe you antibiotics to treat your pneumonia, and you can take cold medicine with these to keep your fever down and control other symptoms."

"Will those help her asthma as well?" Mary Margret asked while she twirled her wedding ring on her finger.

Emma looked to David, she hoped that he would stop her mother from bombarding Whale with questions, but he looked just as interested in Whale's answer as she did.

"No, I'm prescribing Emma inhalers which she'll take every day for the foreseeable future." He looked back at Emma. "I assume you remember how to take inhalers properly still?"

"Yeah," Emma looked down as she avoided her parent's hard stares, obviously they weren't over her evading telling them about her asthma, "is it just a blue one?"

Whale nodded at Emma, glad he wouldn't have to explain how she had to use one. "You'll also have a brown and a green one." He informed her.

"What's a green one do?" she frowned.

"What do _all_ the inhalers do?" David asked in a concerned tone.

"Emma will be using green, blue, and brown inhalers; they'll send medicine directly to her lungs." Whale smiled. "The blue one is a reliever, to be taken when Emma starts to feel her chest becoming tight and an asthma attack coming on. The brown one has steroids in it, it prevents asthmatic attacks by keeping the lung walls uninflamed." Whale smiled, he would never have thought these scientific advancements possible where he was originally from, he still had moments of awe when he thought of the things people in the Land-Without-Magic had come up with. "The green is taken with the brown every morning and night; it helps control the symptoms of your asthma for up to twelve hours."

"Thanks." Emma coughed. "Can I go now?" she asked before anyone could try suggest she stay there for even longer.

"Yes. I'll have one of the nurses bring you a wheelchair, hospital policy, I'm afraid; just until you're in your car." He added quickly when Emma started to protest. "I'd like to see Emma as an outpatient in about a week, while you're sorting out her paperwork to leave, please have a nurse book her an appointment." Whale told her parents, he knew it would be quicker to tell them directly, than to watch Emma try to convince them she would do it another time.

"Thank you, Doctor Whale." David said sincerely, he held his hand out to the doctor, and smiled as the man shook it.

*OUAT*

Emma flicked the belt buckle impatiently, hissing quietly in pain when the metal collided with her nail, she looked up to see her father looking at her through the rear view mirror, his eyebrow raised in amusement. "Mom's taking forever." She complained grouchily.

"She's not taking that long, Em." David didn't bother to turn around in the driver's seat, he could tell that she was just tired, she obviously hadn't slept much the night before. "We'll be home soon, and we'll get you all set up on the couch, then we can all relax for a little -" David paused as Emma quickly dived into the overnight bag which was on the back seat next to her. "Em, what's wrong?"

Emma paused from pulling clothes out of her bag. "I don't think I packed my… I might have forgotten… we have to go back!" Emma said frantically.

"Emma. Em, calm down." David commanded, he turned around in his seat to properly look at his daughter. "I put your blanket in there, it's at the bottom so it definitely wouldn't fall out, and your mom double checked. It's in there, I promise." Assured David, he smiled as Emma sat back in her seat.

Emma looked out of her window, when she spoke her voice was quiet and slightly distant. "I just… I can't sleep without it."

"Did it help you sleep when you were a kid?" David enquired, he placed a hand on Emma's knee lovingly.

Emma looked at her father in surprise, she hadn't meant to speak out loud. But she saw no judgement in his face so she carried on talking "Yeah, it was one of the only things I had with me all the time when I was a kid, in even the noisiest and worst foster homes." She saw David look down in guilt, and felt the anxious feeling start to bubble up, she hadn't meant to make him feel like that. "It always made me feel better."

David looked up surprised, he would have thought that if anything, Emma's blanket would have served as a reminder as to what she had missed out on, or would have made her angry that they weren't there for her.

"It was always soft, and it smelt of home; I didn't know it at the time, but it smells like you and mom, and of the Enchanted Forest." Emma took hold of her father's hand.

David beamed at her, he watched as Emma fought to keep her eyes open, "Hey, pass me over your bag I'll stick the clothes back in it." he said waking her up.

Emma sleepily handed the bag over and rubbed her eyes with her fist. "When _is_ mom getting back here?"

David rolled his eyes at Emma's complaint, Mary Margret had only been gone twenty minutes- tops, and had to wait for Sneezy to get all of Emma's medicines ready. Before he could remind Emma of this, he saw Mary Margret leaving the store, with a big paper bag wrapped in her arms. "She's here now," he finished putting Emma's clothes back in the bag for her and moved her blanket to the top of it, then climbed out of the car and opened Emma's door to place the bag next to her once more; "put your seatbelt back on, Em."

*OUAT*

"Hey." He smiled at his wife as she approached the car. "Did you buy the entire store?" he laughed while she approached the car and he was finally able to see how full the bag was.

"Most of it is Emma's medicines," She explained, "and the rest of it is things to help with her breathing and pneumonia, just anything I hoped would work."

"Hey, she's going to be okay," David promised her, he slipped the bag out of Mary Margret's arms, and took hold of her hand, "she's a fighter, it's going to be hard keeping her resting, but we'll do it. We'll get through this, we'll get Emma better, and we'll sort George out." he told her with such confidence that she almost completely believed him.

David opened Mary Margret's door courteously then placed the bag in the boot before getting into the driver's seat.

*OUAT*

Emma felt herself relax when her mother got in the car, knowing her father would join them momentarily, she was too tired to speak so instead just gave her a welcoming smile.

Mary Margret smiled back affectionately, "We'll go get your brother then we'll go back home." She turned back to face the front when David joined them inside the car. "Why don't we pick up some food from Granny's while we're there? Emma needs to have food with her tablets anyway."

"Yes!" Emma hollered from the back before David had a chance to answer.

David chuckled as he started up the car "I think she was asking me, _Emmy_." David teased as he started to drive towards Granny's.

Emma glared at him. "Please?" she asked quietly, she shot him puppy dog eyes through the mirror, though she knew she probably didn't need to.

"I guess it couldn't hurt." David replied to Mary Margret, he saw Mary Margret's eyes sparkle having guessed at the look which accompanied Emma's plea, he rolled his eyes back at his wife. He was surprised at the silence in the car, both Mary Margret and David had expected Emma to make some comment or remark, when she didn't he looked worriedly through the rear view mirror at her. He smiled at the sight he saw.

Mary Margret felt David's hand touch her just above the knee, when she met his eye he cocked his head back to direct her attention towards Emma in the back seat. She felt her heart gush with love.

Emma's legs were pulled up towards her chest, the large hoodie was pulled up so her mouth was hidden inside it, and her head was rested against her first both of which were resting against the window; her eyes were closed.

Mary Margret turned back to David and beamed at him, "She's exhausted." She whispered to him, her tone was loving but tinged with worry, but worry at more than just Emma's energy levels.

David took Mary Margret's hand, tenderly, and interlocked their fingers, he brought them to his lips and kissed the back of his wife's hand. "Let's go get our son, and get our kids home." He said equally as quietly. He kissed her hand again then let her go so he could start the car again.

Before he could start the car Mary Margret grabbed the lapels of his jacket and pulled him down towards her. Their lips crashed together in a desperate hunger, the longer their lips were pressed together, the lighter they felt; their fears over Emma's health, both of their children's and grandson's safety, and their fears over whatever else George could be up to; seemed to dissipate. When they eventually broke apart they were both slightly breathless.

*OUAT*

"Just a few more steps, kiddo." David encouraged Emma, he shifted the bag full of her medicine slightly in his arm, then jerked his left shoulder up so Emma's hospital bag wouldn't fall off. His other hand was firmly on the small of Emma's back, he had offered to carry Emma up the stairs but she had protested against that option profusely.

Mary Margret had taken Neal ahead to the loft, along with the bag of food, when it became clear Emma was going to need to take the stairs incredibly slowly. In one look between she and David, they had decided that she would go up the stairs first with the slightly restless Neal, and would set up the food, and create a place on the couch topped with pillows and blankets for Emma to sit, should she refuse to rest in her bed.

They finally made it up the stairs, Emma was sure that the only thing that kept her upright during the trek was David's hand on her back, not that she would tell him that. She desperately wanted to just collapse on the couch, but when she reached the loft door she stopped so abruptly that David bumped into the back of her. The shudder which ran through her was partially due to the coldness she had felt since she had fallen ill, but also because of the sight of the green chipped door, though this time the number was the correct way around. She felt her father's hand leave her back, dread raised within her as she feared she was actually within another dream. Before the fear could take over her, David took her hand, and squeezed tight enough to ground her, but not too hard as to hurt her.

"It's okay, kiddo, it's not your dream." he brushed his thumb along Emma's knuckles he could see her visibly relax. "We'll stay right here until you're ready to go in." he assured.

Emma squeezed David's hand back and took a moment to steady her breathing, she nodded once towards him and allowed him to slowly lead her in. She kept hold of David's hand even as they walked into the loft, and felt relief when he didn't shake her off even when she could tell it wasn't a dream.

Mary Margret looked over at them in worry. "I was wondering where you two had got to." She said light-heartedly but the way she was twisting her ring on her finger told David her true feelings, Emma would have picked up on it too, had she not been about to fall asleep on her feet.

David placed Emma's bag of medicine down on the table, and placed Emma's bag down on one of the chairs, he let go of Emma's hand but quickly wrapped it around Emma's shoulder and pulled her close into him. "Why don't you go sit down on the couch." He kissed the top of the head.

Emma shook her head, instead she went and sat on one of the chairs around the table, once again she rested her head against her hand.

David sighed, picked up the Emma's bag of medicine and walked over to the kitchen, he rubbed a couple of circles onto his daughter's back as he passed her.

*OUAT*

"She's just as stubborn as her mother." David joked quietly to Mary Margret, he went and stood behind his wife, both of them looking at Emma who had shut her eyes but wasn't fully asleep. He doubled over slightly when Mary Margret's elbow made its way into his rib. He quickly snaked his arm around her waist and pulled her back to lean against him, his head darted forward to press a kiss against her cheek. "Is Neal down for a nap?"

"Yeah, he was almost asleep by the time I carried him in, he can sleep for about an hour, or we'll be up with all night." She leant her head back and could feel David's head gently rise and fall, she covered his hand with hers. "I put the food in the oven to keep warm, we can sort Emma's tablets out then put it out. Was everything okay? You took a while to get up to the loft."

"Yeah, she was just exhausted by taking the stairs, I offered to carry her a few times but…" he trailed off without needing to explain, they both knew how stubborn their daughter could be. "She also wasn't overly sure about coming inside here."

Mary Margret turned around to face David quickly, her eyes were wide, and she spoke louder than she had meant to. "What! Why?" she glanced back at Emma, and was relieved to see that she had not stirred, or at least has not bothered to open her eyes.

David placed his hands on either of her arms "Her dream." he said explained quietly. He bent his head closer to hers, and spoke quieter still "I wish I had killed him when I first saw him. If I had, Emma wouldn't have to suffer, she wouldn't be afraid to be in her own home."

"It's not your fault, if you had tried to kill him then you may not have survived, this isn't your fault. It's George's. And we will get that man, and any of his men out of our town, and out of our lives." She weaved her hands through his short hair as she tenderly kissed him, she smiled against his lips as they moved against hers. She moved back and watched David's puckered lips turn into a pout at the loss of contact, she smirked back at him. "But today, we're just going to focus on our family, we'll sort this out tomorrow." She informed him, discouraging any arguments he might have, using a firm and commanding tone.

"Yes ma'am." David winked, he quickly pecked his wife's lips once more, then started to unpack Emma's medicine. "This is a lot of medicine." He frowned.

Mary Margret looked at all of the boxes. "It sure is, let's just hope it works."

"It will, I'm certain of it, so long as she rests."

*OUAT*

"Emma, sweetheart, it's time to wake up." Mary Margret lightly scratched circles on her back. She watched Emma look up drowsily, she felt her temperate with the backs of her fingers then brought them down to stroke one of Emma's flushed cheeks. She tucked a golden curl behind her ear. "Are you hungry?" She asked, she watched as Emma shrugged and shivered again. "You need to take your inhalers and have something to eat."

Emma nodded once then rested her head against her mother, her head felt heavy again, her eyes drifted shut as she felt her mother run her fingers through her hair.

David walked over to the table carrying three drinks glasses, he smiled softly at the sight of his wife and daughter, Emma's eyes flickered open when she heard a glass gently being brought down upon the table. David walked over to the lounge and grabbed one of the folded up blankets and wrapped it around his daughter's shoulders. "I'll bring over her tablets, and then her food, I doubt she'll be awake enough to take them after she's finished eating." He said just above a whisper to Mary Margret.

"Good idea"

"You were right, by the way, she does turn into a koala when she's ill." David smirked then made his way back to the kitchen.

"Here you go Emma." She gently moved Emma away from her slightly and passed her the blue inhaler. She watched as Emma take the blue inhaler, managing to stop herself from coughing until after she had done it, then she repeated it with the brown and green inhalers. She handed Emma two paracetamol, "That should help bring your temperature down."

David placed Mary Margret's and Emma's plates down in front of them on the table, then went to grab his own food.

Emma quickly took the large yellow and red antibiotic tablet, then six tiny white pills were handed to her. "No thanks." Emma tried to hand her mother back the tablets.

Mary Margret frowned and moved her hand back so Emma couldn't let go of the tablets. "Why?"

David brought over his own food and, he too, frowned at Emma. "What's up?" He asked, sharing a look with Mary Margret.

"I just don't want to take them." Emma shrugged.

"That's not a reason Emma." Mary Margret responded. "If you don't tell us the real reason, we won't be able to help and come up with a solution."

Emma shrugged again wordlessly.

"Fine, I'm sure we can crush them up to put into your pasta then." Mary Margret opened her hand expectantly.

David quickly took hold of Emma's wrist before she could pull it towards her. "Emma, tell us what's wrong." He commanded. He kept hold of Emma's wrist as she weakly tried to pull away but she kept her lips firmly shut. He gently opened Emma's hand, met with surprisingly little resistance, and took the tablets out of it. He turned to Mary Margret, "Please can you crush these up?" He slowly started to pass over the tablets, he waited for Emma to interrupt him, before his hand could open to pass over the tablets Emma spoke.

"I don't want to be sick again." Emma said quickly. "Those tablets always make me feel sick."

"I'm sorry that they make you feel sick, Emma," Mary Margret smiled sympathetically, "but I'd rather you were able to breathe. So how about we try this, you can take them as slow as you like, that might help."

"You shouldn't feel quite so sick when you take them on a full stomach." David smiled.

"How do you know that?" Emma furrowed her eyebrows.

"I read the leaflet which came with them." David said proudly.

"Instructions suck." Emma teased.

David raised an eyebrow but didn't respond, Emma had long since declared her disdain for instructions, since they had both tried to build Neal's crib.

Emma heaved a sigh. "Okay I'll take them, but if I throw up, I'm not going to be the one to clean up."

"Deal." Mary Margret smirked.

Emma slowly took all the tablets, thankfully without throwing up, then she stared in confusion at her drink. "Wait, why am I drinking juice? I always get a soda."

David chuckled that Emma had only just realised what she was drinking.

"Drinking sodas too often can worsen your asthma." Mary Margret replied simply as she started to eat her own lunch.

"What? How do you know…" Emma spluttered "I mean, what makes you think that?"

"You're not the only one who can use the internet, Emma." Mary Margret said firmly.

Emma sighed, it was times like this her parents _were_ the age they technically were, at least then they'd find it harder to find out this information to use against her. "You could have just asked me."

"Emma, you hid your asthma from us in the first place, I wasn't sure that I could trust you on this one." She said, firmly, but not unkindly. "I did my own research."

Emma squirmed uncomfortably in her seat. "I'm sorry." She moved her pasta around her dish with her fork "I'm used to dealing, ignoring it, by myself. I didn't want to burden you."

David reached across the table to hold Emma's free hand, while Mary Margret placed a hand on her forearm, he drew her attention to him by rubbing circles onto it. "You couldn't burden us if you tried, we're your parents, you don't have to deal with things by yourself."

"And you never have to again, we're with you for the long run, we'll be right at your side; so much that it'll start to annoy you." Mary Margret smirked.

"I'll stick even closer to you when it starts to annoy you." David chuckled, it was not secret he enjoyed annoying Emma.

Emma faked a groan "Can't you guys annoy Neal?" she pushed some more pasta around.

"We will when he's older, so right you get all our attention, at least when it comes to this." Mary Margret laughed.

David and Mary Margret carried on pleasant conversation as Emma ate a little more of her food, she could feel herself growing tired again.

"Emma?"

"Huh? What?" she asked as she jerked awake.

"I asked if you were finished." Mary Margret smiled.

Emma looked down at her pasta and was surprised to see she had eaten less than half of it, she was sure she had eaten a lot more than that. She looked up and nodded.

David and Mary Margret stood up at the same time, David placed his hand on her back, letting her know wordlessly that he would clear the table.

"Let's get you over to the couch." Mary Margret smiled again at her daughter.

"Can I take a shower first?" Emma pulled a face of disgust "I smell like the hospital."

Mary Margret looked wearily at Emma, she didn't want Emma to overdo herself, on the other hand it might do Emma some good. "Okay, make sure it's a quick one though, I'll go get you some clothes to change into."

David walked over to stand next to Emma. He smiled when she automatically leaned against him, her head rested against his stomach, he ran his hand through her golden hair; he remembered when her mother's hair was that long he could see the slight curls which Emma had clearly inherited from Mary Margret. "Are you sure you're up to taking a shower?"

Emma nodded "I want to get this hospital smell off me." Even though she was no longer in the hospital the smell alone was giving her an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. She felt David's hand leave her hair and reappear on her back, she closed her eyes as he started to rub calming circles onto her back, the same as he often did to Neal when he was trying to settle his son.

"Maybe you should take a nap after you have your shower."

Emma lifted her head up, abruptly, and looked up at him with a look of abhorrence on her face. "I'm an adult: I don't take _naps_."

David nodded in mock-serious understanding way. He was finding it hard not to laugh, especially when Emma had followed her serious sounding statement by rubbing her eye with her first covered in his oversized hoodie.

"How about we watch a movie instead?" Mary Margret suggested as she walked over to them with Emma's clothes in her hands. She giggled as both Emma and David jumped, not having heard her, Emma hesitated for a second then nodded. "Don't be too long, I don't want you over doing yourself!" She called to her daughter as the blonde stumbled towards the bathroom.

*OUAT*

Emma shivered as she left the warm bathroom, she was half tempted to go back into the room, but then she heard her brother 'talking' to her parents around the corner so decided against that idea, she had missed him more than she would have thought she would, even if she had only seen him the other day.

Neal was the first one to spot her, he pulled himself up onto his feet and ran towards her with his arms in the air, shouting "Emmy!" as he did so.

Emma crouched down, letting her brother wrap his arms around her, her sudden movement caused her to become light headed. She fell, sitting flat on the floor, Neal giggled as he fell with her. "I'm okay." She assured her parents who were at their side within a second.

"You have to be careful with Emma, Neal, she's poorly." Mary Margret told her son as she swooped him into her arms.

"Emmy?" Neal asked, his tone was sad with sympathy.

"Yes, you have to be nice to Emmy." She'd smiled back at him.

"Come on, let's get you to the couch." David helped Emma up, he looked for a second thoughtfully at her, "Can you walk there, or do you need some help?"

"I can walk there, I just felt a bit light headed." She allowed her father to lead her over to the couch.

David surveyed her with a critical eye. "Okay, you're staying on the couch for the time being."

"I was _just_ a little light headed."

"And you're _just_ staying on the couch for a while." David countered.

Emma crossed her arms, unhappy, at her father's decision. But quickly uncrossed them as a cough raked through her body. Once she had finished her coughing fit she was gasping for air.

"Blue." Emma heard her mother say.

"It's okay, kiddo, here; take this." David pressed the blue inhaler into Emma's hand. He watched as she took it and her breathing slowly calmed, easing to a heavy and slightly quickened pace which had become Emma's new norm.

"Couch." He repeated as he tucked a quilt around Emma, who was now too tired to argue.

"Let's watch a movie." Mary Margret pressed a disk into the dvd player before Emma could see what it was. She sat in the free seat next to Emma, with Neal and his knitted toy dragon in his chubby hands.

David made to move from the arm of the chair he was perched on, to sit on one of the armchairs instead.

"We could make room for you." Emma said quickly, she moved closer to her mother's side, and looked expectantly at David.

He quickly took up residence, despite the couch obviously not being made to sit three adults, a toddler, and a dragon. He could have sworn that once he had settled down, Emma moved closer to him, he could tell this was what his wife had meant when she had referred to Emma becoming a human koala while ill.

"Woof!" Neal declared with glee when the familiar advert came on.

"Yes Neal, it's Bolt." Mary Margret praised, Neal had recently become obsessed with watching the film. He had made Emma watch it a few times, albeit reluctantly, and it had almost made her fall asleep then, so she was hoping that her daughter would definitely fall asleep this time.

Emma's head rolled back with a groan "I hate this film." She crossed her arms.

"Emmy. Share." Neal said, drawing out the word, which he was so often hearing from his parents. He didn't exactly know what it meant, other than his parents would say it when he crossed his arms before he could start a tantrum, exactly as his sister was appearing to do at that very moment.

"Yes Emmy, share." David mimicked.

"My name's not Emmy, you gave me my name, you could at least use it." Emma said sulkily. But her words contrasted with her actions as she moved even closer to her father

David draped an arm around Emma, his hand rested on his wife's shoulder, his fingered traced patters absentmindedly.

"Do you have to be this grossly-loving while I'm sat between you?" Emma complained half-heartedly.

David smiled but did not remove his hand.

*OUAT*

"Neal, don't play cars on your sister, play with them on the ground, buddy." A deep voice called kindly.

The voice roused Emma from her sleep, she opened her eyes to meet blue ones, as close as they could be without actually touching her. Her head darted backwards in shock at the person staring at her, it took her a second to realise it was her little brother.

"Emmy!"

"Cra-" she stopped herself finishing that word, if Neal started copying her language like that "You scared me squirt."

Neal just giggled, then passed her one of his to cars.

Emma twirled the wheels of the car as she woke up properly. She was led on the couch, her head slightly upright with three pillows behind it, her parent's had clearly got that idea from the hospital, a quilt and a couple of blankets were firmly tucked around her, so much so that she could barely move; but she still shivered slightly so she brought the quilt even further up so it was tucked under her chin. She looked around, but couldn't see her parents anywhere. She carried on unenthusiastically playing with Neal, smiling as she watched him crash the cars he held in either hand into the one she held, yet still her parents did not appear; normally she was sure that her parents had a sixth sense when it came to where their family were and what they were doing, but now she wasn't so sure. She occupied herself by playing with her brother, who was now including his toy dragon in the car chase/crash, eventually Emma managed to hold his attention for long enough to ask what was on her mind.

"Hey, squirt, where's mommy and daddy?"

"I'm right here, kiddo." David spoke before Neal could give an answer, he had been leaning on the wall, watching his children play both of them oblivious to him; he was overjoyed to see how well they got on despite their massive age gap. "How are you feeling?" he asked as he walked over to her.

"I'm fine." Emma said quickly, she could feel the pink rising in her cheeks, knowing that her father had heard her asking her little brother where their parents were.

David let out a breathy laugh and sat on the side of Emma's bed. "Of course you are." He felt her temperate with his hand as she rolled her eyes at him. "Prepared to back that up?" he challenged.

Emma took the thermometer he offered her, confident about what the result would be, she pulled herself to sit up more as she waited for the thermometer to beep, "Where's mo-" she started to ask quickly growing bored.

"Ah, ah! You have to be quiet or we won't get the right temperature." David silenced her "Your mom's in the kitchen, we were just tidying the loft up, then I came to check on yo… on Neal."

Emma raised an eyebrow, luckily the thermometer beeped and Emma took it out of her mouth, "Nice save." She said dryly.

David ignored her, he swiped the thermometer out of her hand and frowned as he read it, he turned it off and glanced at the time on his phone. "You can some more medicine in about an hour."

"Do I get to know what it is?"

"No, you can just let us worry about that." David watched Emma look confused for a second, then she looked down with a small smile on her face, he couldn't help but feel as though he had passed some form of test. "You fell asleep before Neal's film had even begun, I'm starting to think that you don't like it." he joked with feigned innocence.

"It's the worst film ever." Emma complained, she rested her head against her father's arm dramatically. "I don't understand why he always has to watch it."

"Aw, well," David mocked "next time you can choose what we watch."

"Hey sweetheart, how are you feeling?" Mary Margret walked over to her family, she had obviously heard Emma awake and talking, as she handed Emma a mug of tea. "It has lemon and honey in it, it should make your throat feel better." She smiled as Emma sipped the drink, she knew it wasn't her daughter's drink of choice, but it would help her more than coffee or hot chocolate.

"Regina's going to bring Henry by in a little while."

"What?" Emma almost spat her drink out at her father's sudden revelation.

"He wanted to come see you, they're only going to stay for a while, you still need to rest." Mary Margret explained. "Is that alright."

"Yeah…. Yeah, of course it is. I just didn't think Regina would wat him to get ill." She hadn't told her parents about her dream concerning Henry, nor about the fear of any feeling he may hold about her giving him up.

David and Mary Margret shot her concerned looks but didn't question her anymore.

*OUAT*

Henry quickly set up the Wii for him and Emma to play a game of Mario Kart, Regina, Mary Margret, and David, had all decided to go and talk in the kitchen to avoid hearing the competitiveness which Henry and Emma always exhibited while playing the game. Neal had decided he wanted to play too, Henry gave him an unplugged control to make him believe that he too was playing.

"I'm sorry that I didn't get to see you at his age, at least not properly." Emma admitted as the game started. "I had the memories your mom gave us before we left for New York, but…"

"They became blurry." Henry finished, he had expected that Emma's had started to fade, to become harder to remember, even his own were becoming harder to recall though a lot of them were rooted in his true memories so he was at a slight advantage. "It happened when I broke my memory spell, before Neal was born." He said sympathetically.

The two carried on playing in silence for a while, the only noise was energetic music and the repetitive sound effects as the two played for a while in silence.

"When I was your age, I was angry, very angry." Emma said as she fell from third to fifth place. "I didn't understand why my parents didn't want me, after the anger passed, I felt resentment… for a long, long, time, even after I found them properly, I couldn't help but feel the same. Even now, sometimes it's hard, not to feel resentful at them, or at least wistful that they hadn't given me away."

Henry focused on his game controller, he hesitated before he spoke. "I felt like that too, for a while. When I was younger and I didn't know who you were, or who my family were." He said quietly he watched his mother copy how he looked down at the controller. "But then Grandma gave me my book. I saw how your parents gave you up so you could have your best chance; I hoped that that was why you gave me up: to give me my best chance." Henry dropped his controller and threw his arms around Emma. "I didn't know what you gave up until we came back here from New York, until I remembered all the things which my other mom got to see." He pulled back from Emma to look into her eyes. "I'm not angry anymore." He promised.

"I'm sorry." Emma whispered so quietly that not even Henry heard her.

*OUAT*

"Did you ask them if they wanted a drink?" Mary Margret asked David as he walked back over to the kitchen.

David shook his head and walked over to the fridge, he opened it, hid his face as he wiped his eyes. Then brought out a jug of juice. He poured two glasses full then turned back to Mary Margret and Regina. "They're talking right now, but I'll some over for them in a couple of minutes."

"Are you okay, hon?" Mary Margret asked quietly.

David nodded his head minutely, but he stayed silent.

Regina pretended not to see Mary Margret giving David a concerned look which he ignored, their hand clenched together behind the counter.

*OUAT*

Emma had been quiet for the rest of the evening.

After Regina and Henry had left, Henry looking slight redder eyed than he was when he had arrived, Emma had tried to stick fairly close to her parents.

David looked over to where Emma sat at the counter. Before Emma had attached herself at the hip to them both, David had explained to his wife the conversation he had overheard.  
It would appear that Emma's head was filled with thoughts about this conversation Henry's own past revelations over his parentage issues had brought up her own, though some part of her distractedness, and clear feelings of vulnerability which were making her, for lack of a better word _clingy_ , were due to her medication and illness.

"Mary Margret?" David got her attention. "I'll sort dinner out by myself." His eyes drifted down to Emma, who sat once again fighting to keep her eyes open. "What do you say, Em, breakfast for dinner?" he asked enthusiastically, he pulled her into his side, he felt relief when Emma didn't tense or pull away.

Emma took a minute before she looked up at her father "What?" she asked confused, she had obviously missed something.

"It doesn't matter Emma," Mary Margret nodded at David, she walked over to Emma and helped her stand. "Come on, baby, we'll go play with Neal while your dad makes the food."

*OUAT*

David swung the tea-towel onto his shoulder when he had dried the last plate. Emma hadn't moved from the stool, she had sat on at the island, since Mary Margret had taken Neal to bed. Although she had been speaking more than she had earlier on, she still seemed worried about something. David counted out the amount of tablets Emma had to take, he knew that Emma would be hesitant to sleep that night after her previous night's dreams, and that other problems were on her mind which would make her hesitant to be away from he and her mother. He needed some way to help her relax, to make them all relax really, the next day would bring the stresses of both Emma being ill, and trying to conduct the hunt for a sociopath and the men helping him.

"I love you, kiddo." David told her as he placed the tablets and a drink in front of her.

"I know." She said as if it surprised her how easy it felt.

"Good." He smiled. "Take your tablets" He pressed a kiss onto her head then he set about putting the dried dishes away.

Once he had finished he saw that Emma was moving the six steroid tablets around on the counter, making pictures out of them. He should have known that those would be the hard ones to get her to take.

"I'll give you a cookie if you take them."

Emma reached for the outstretched cookie, but David moved it from her reach before she could take it.

David raised an eyebrow expectantly.

Emma slowly took all six of the tablets, and sent him a smile, which was the picture of her father's, when he gave her the cookie.

Mary Margret walked over to them, Neal having finally fallen asleep, she rubbed her hand on Emma's back. "How about we watch a movie

"Will it be one of your boring chick flicks?" Emma asked, after hearing the adventure filled love story her parent's shared, the others seemed nothing but dreary to Emma.

Mary Margret rolled her eyes "No Emma, it won't be one of those, I don't think I want to her your father and you making sarcastic comments for the next two hours." She teased.

Emma looked to her father, waiting for him to make some suggestions.

"It's up to you, Em, after all, it is your turn to choose." He smirked, referring back to their previous conversation.

Emma thought for a second, running through a mental list of dvd's she owned, until a thought occurred to her. "How about Thor?" she suggested.

"What's Thor?" David questioned.

Emma's mouth fell open "How could you not know what Thor is?" she said astonished. "We're definitely watching it now. It's about a superhero, alien, demigod type guy, and his evil brother. Oh and he has lots of cool warrior friends who help him. Trust me, you'll love it." she said confidently, however when she stood up, she waited for her parents to walk with her.

*OUAT*

"She was right, that was a good film." David whispered, as the after credits scene finally passed, Emma had long since fallen asleep against her mother's shoulder.

"It was," Mary Margret smiled, obviously David would be wanting to watch more of those superhero films, no doubt Emma would be joining him, "though now we have to her up to go to bed."

David stood up and moved in front of his wife and daughter. "I'll carry her." He shook his head. Even if she was half asleep, they would have a hard job trying to convince Emma to leave their side, even David felt nervous at the thought of his daughter being away from him. Similar panic he had had when Neal was first born rose within him once more, what if she got ill during the night, or had a bad coughing attack, or worse an asthma attack.

He carefully picked his daughter up and carried her up the stairs to her room. Mary Margret followed them up a few seconds later, she pulled the covers down, and set the pillows up just like before, then she nodded at David to lay Emma down.

Apparently, Mart Margret had felt the same concern at leaving Emma, as she had brought up the baby-monitor they were given as a gift. "This way we'll be able to hear if something's wrong. She won't like it, but this is how it has to be." She told him as she placed it half behind a picture frame on Emma's chest of drawers.

David smiled warmly at his wife, he bent down and pressed a kissed onto Emma's forehead "Night, princess, we're here if you need us." He whispered, then switched placed with his wife.

"Good night, sweetheart, and sweet dreams." She said before she, too, kissed Emma's forehead. She straightened up, before she moved away from the bed, she turned on one of the battery powered candles David had gifted Emma, which now resided on Emma's bedside table.

*OUAT*

"Your grace, the shepherd and his family are close to the Evil queen, if we were just to attack her we would be able to draw them out."

"No." the blading man commanded, he looked at the large map of the town, black and white chess pieces were set in different places upon it. "The Mayor may not be the same as she was in our homeland, but she is still dangerous, if you touch one hair on the head of her son…. Well, I will never get my revenge. Keep her and their friends busy, then we can move to strike the shepherd."

"You think he'll give in without a fight?" the voice belonged to a man who sat staring into the flames of the grand fire. The dip of the scar on his face was only exaggerated by the flicking light.

"I'm not a fool, of course I know he'll fight. That will make it all the sweeter when he is powerless to me: when he'll lose everything no matter how hard he tries." The old king gave a cold and callous smile, which sent chill down the spines of all who saw it, even the large man by the fire. George turned to one of the smaller men by the door. "Go wake him. It's time for him to give the girl a bedtime story."


	13. Chapter 13

" _Emma! Please! Stop!"_

_The ground was shaking underneath her feet, her arms were up in the air, the green coloured smoke which Emma could easily tell was magic from the minute lightning bolts which cracked within it. There was something off about it, something wrong about it, which Emma couldn't quite put her finger on. The voice was calling her, begging her to stop, her father's voice. But still her hands remained in the air. The green mist swirled around the sheriff's station, the desks toppled, the framed pictures on both of their desks fell and smashed. The walls around her crumbled, the only sound was her crackling magic around her, she wanted to stop bur she was paralysed, locked within herself._

" _You'll only put them all in danger." A voice hissed in her ears, it was clearly a man's voice, but the person it came from had a naturally higher pitch than most the people she knew. Although the voice was clearly a smaller man, the ferocity and vindictiveness made a shiver run down her back._

_A wall fell, crushing David beneath it._

*OUAT*

By the time David had grabbed the bag of stuff Mary Margret had bought from the pharmacy and made it up the stairs to Emma's room, Emma was sat upright, her eyes were searching the room wildly; she had clearly just woke up from a nightmare. "It's okay Emma," he soothed, "I'm here." But Emma continued to look panicked.

David strode over and sat on Emma's bed, the covers were rumpled, piled up in different points, indicating how disrupted Emma's sleep had been. But David couldn't think of that right now, first he had to calm her coughing and breathing, the sound of which had carried over the monitor Mary Margret had hidden in Emma's room and woke David up. He rooted through the bag and pulled out one of the spacers, which his wife had told him would be best to use while using the inhaler, allowing more of the medicine to reach Emma's lungs. He uncapped the blue inhaler which had been left at Emma's bedside, he shook it, then clicked it into place. "Emma, you need to take your inhaler, open your mouth."

Emma opened her mouth and allowed her father to guide the clear spacer into Emma's mouth, her eyes were fixed on David, he mind was still replaying the sight of only David's hand peeking out through the rubble. She became aware of David holding the spacer for her and counting quietly as her breathing matched the pace of the numbers, she brought her hand up to support it but she knew her father was baring most of the weight.

Once he reached ten, David gently pulled the spacer out of Emma's mouth, "Just two more puffs, Em," he brushed some hair away from Emma's face "I can hear your breathing getting better already."

He repeated the process two more times, he gave a small smile as he watched the counting and calm breaths Emma was forced to take make her eyelids droop and she fought to stay awake. He recapped the inhaler and placed it, and the spacer, on the Emma's bedside table.  
He picked up one of the candles and the box of matches from Emma's table, he placed the candle in the holder and lit it. "I think real candles work better than the electronic ones- but that could just be because I'm old fashioned." He joked, he had expected Emma to make her own jokes about his age, but instead she stayed sat up, she stared at David nervously; watching his every move.

"Lay back, kiddo." He commanded her quietly, once she moved back, David went about fixing Emma's bed covers, he smoothed the creases and made sure Emma was fully covered up. Emma's hand clutched onto her blanket which was covering her underneath her quilt, a slither of purple ribbon peeked out and caught David's eye. He sat back down on Emma's bed, Emma's hair had curled even more from her restless sleep she ignored it as it fell down towards her face, he brushed another strand out of the way before it could fall into her eyes.  
"What was your nightmare about, Em?" he asked not unkindly.

"What?" Emma tried to feign innocence, but even she was aware that it took her too long to put the face on, not nearly short enough to be convincing. "I didn't dream."

David raised an eyebrow, unconvinced. "Emma, I'm your father, I know when you're lying." He stared at Emma for a minute, he watched her face change from astonishment to hopeful doubt. "Em, where do you think your 'superpower' comes from." He smirked.

Emma rolled her eyes at her father, who was often teasing her about her calling it her superpower, "I'm never gonna live that down, am I?" her tone was annoyed but the teasing was helping to ease her nerves slightly.

"Nope." He replied simply. He stared at his daughter lovingly as he waited for her to talk to him.

"It was just a bad dream." Emma said sadly as she tried to forget about her dream.

He placed one of his hands on her covered knee. "Kiddo, it's okay, you can tell me; I know that it's hard, but if you share your dreams it helps to get rid of them."

"Do you share yours?" Emma sked somewhat shyly.

"I do," David replied, "I've tried to ignore them before, but that's only made me feel even more scared, so I tell your mother them when I have any." He confided honestly.

Emma's hands started to dance in her lap, she wanted to tell him, but couldn't quite bring herself to do it. She was terrified that her magic really was going to mess up, she wouldn't be able to stand if her parents became scared of her too, if they thought even for a moment that she would hurt them; that she was going to hurt any of their family.

"It was kind of a memory, from a home I was at in Minnesota, it was a group home, but it was pretty good."  
Emma wasn't sure where the memory came from, she hadn't thought about that home in a long time, but perhaps she could tell him what her dream was about without actually telling him.  
"The lady who ran it was nice, I thought she was going to try send me away, but she wasn't; she was doing the opposite." She looked hesitantly at her father.

David made sure to maintain a poker face, he couldn't think about how he felt about Emma being adopted by someone. If she were adopted by this lady, why had Emma clearly ended back up in the system? He wanted to think of Emma being happy, having the chance of having a proper family, but he felt slightly jealous that the proper family wasn't her birth one; he and Mary Margret. He pushed his own feelings down, and instead, nodded at Emma to continue with her story.

"She had just told me she wanted to adopt me, I mentioned that it would be easier to get back to the house, she tried to convince me that I had magic." Emma paused and frowned. "I'm not sure how she knew that I have it."

David frowned back, he wasn't sure he liked the idea of someone who knew about Emma having magic, especially in the time when she was younger and he and Mary Margret weren't around. "She might not have been from this world then." He said thoughtfully, but he shook it off, it was too late to be trying to figure it out; plus, he'd rather stick with one problem at a time, and George was their biggest problem at the present moment in time. "What happened next in your dream?"

"Well, in my memory and the dream she kind of… ah dragged me in front of a car…."

"What?!" David said angrily.

"She was trying to get me to use my magic, in real life I just called her crazy, then ran away." She said quickly, although they didn't part on necessarily good terms, she didn't want her dad to be angry about something in Emma's past; that was why she tried to shield her parents from it as much as possible. She could have kicked herself for bringing it up, but it was the first thing she had thought of, and it was definitely one of the better places she had lived.

David cooled his breathing and rearranged his face so he was no longer looking outwardly angry, even if he was still feeling furious that someone who was meant to protect his daughter put her in danger. "How about in the dream?" he asked gently.

"I did magic." Emma said quietly, remembering her real dream, her father's pleading voice. "My magic was uncontrollable, I tried to stop it… but I couldn't." A few tears rolled down her face, in her mind she kept replaying the wall falling in her dreams.

"Hey," David soothed, he pulled Emma into a bear hug, he pressed a kiss onto the top of Emma's head, "it's over now, the dream's over, it's okay."

Emma was quiet as he held her in his arms for so long that he assumed she had fallen asleep, but when he pulled away slightly and looked down at her he saw that her eyes were still open, however she was clearly fighting sleep. He looked down at the cuff on Emma's arm and swallowed in guilt, if they kept it on her would it just make her feel like they couldn't trust her? Or that they were afraid of her? But then, if they took it off, the dreams she had could make her magic attack her again, this time it could be even harder to stop it from hurting her. Luckily, Emma was too tired to notice him staring at it, he wasn't sure whether it would be best to take it off and he didn't want to make a snap decision, especially one without Mary Margret.

Emma leaned back against her pillows, she could feel the burn of her eyes as she willed them to stay open, they closed for what seemed like a second, however when she heard her father stand up from the bed she prised them open, and looked pleadingly at her father. "Stay."

David tucked the sheets around Emma, he nodded at her request, he pressed a kiss to the top of her head, then moved to sit next to her. "I'll be here until you fall asleep, kiddo."

*OUAT*

The alarm was too quiet to wake up their son, but the quiet buzzing was enough to stir David and Mary Margret from their slumber. Mary Margret hit the off button on the alarm, and led back down, her husband's arm was still draped over her. David pulled her closed to him, her back pressed against his chest, he groaned in displeasure at the idea of having to get up.

"I think we should just stay here today." David said half-heartedly.

Mary Margret giggled and rolled over she pressed a kiss to his lips lazily "Why stop there?" she joked "Why not make it forever?"

"That's a long time," David pretended to think for a second, "though I'm sure I can come up with some things we can do in that time." He said with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm sure you could." Mary Margret replied and kissed him again slowly her hand on his cheek, when they broke apart, she trailed her hand down his cheek to rest on his side. "How was Emma last night when you went to check on her?" she asked sleepily.

"You were right, she not only was having trouble breathing, she was having a nightmare." David sighed as he remembered his earlier predicament. "It was a foster mother she had, who somehow knew that Em has magic- "

"What!" Mary Margret interrupted "How did she know that Emma had magic?"

"I'm not sure, neither's Emma, that's not as bad as how she tried to get it out of Emma." He watched Mary Margret's eyes widen. "She pulled her in front of a car." He growled in anger at the thought of his daughter in danger, he could tell his wife was feeling the same, they both took a few moments to cool their breathing before David continued. "In the dream Emma lost control of her magic she couldn't stop it not matter how hard she tried. She was really distressed about it." he frowned.

"That _monster_ sent her the dream, didn't he?"

"I think so, the way it affected Em, it did seem like the other ones Robert manipulated. Part of me wants to take that cuff off of her, so that she knows that we trust her with her magic, but I-"

"Don't want her magic to harm her." Mary Margret finished, her tone made it clear that she was feeling the same. She thought for a minute. "We'll just have to explain to her that we trust her; but until we can stop this Edward, and make sure he doesn't cause her to use her magic, we'll have to leave it on."

David nodded, his wife was right, it was the clear answer but he wasn't sure he could have made it by himself. A beam of light fell across the bed, as the sun rose outside of their parted curtains, and David pushed himself up to sit against the headboard. Mary Margret copied him, however leant against her husband instead of the headboard, she smiled as David wrapped his arms around her yet again.

"Speaking of evil, what's the plan today for the hunt for George? Are you still meeting with Regina to discuss who George has working for him?"

"Yeah, I'm sure that will be fun." David deadpanned. He winced as Mary Margret elbowed him.

"She's not that bad anymore." She told him, although she was sure that the two would probably end up butting heads by the end of an hour. "Especially since she and Robin have been seeing each other."

Even David couldn't argue with that one.

"She asked if we'd look after Henry after school for her, she and Robin are going on a date, I said that we would she'll drop him at the station after school."

"That's good; I've missed having the kid around." David smiled. "I'm going to try find where George is hiding, but I don't have a good feeling about this, I doubt George will go down without a firefight."

"Once this is over, we should go on holiday we'll go to Boston, or camping or something."

"Camping sounds like a good plan, we could teach the kids what it would have been like to grow up at home, like they should have." David smiled at the thought. "You could teach Emma and Henry how to fire a bow, I could teach them how to properly sword fight, and we could teach them to fish. Neal would just be happy to have everyone around."

"We could go somewhere with a lake, rent a boat and go sailing, or go swimming in it." Mary Margret smiled though she wasn't too sure the likelihood of them being able to carry out the plan.

"As long as we're together it doesn't matter where we go." David drew Mary Margret into a kiss, he pulled out only when he saw movement from the corner of his eye. "Looks like someone's awake."

Just as Neal pulled himself to stand up in his crib the sound of Emma coughing crackled over the monitor. Mary Margret looked at the monitor in worry as Emma stopped coughing and she could hear Emma's wheezing. She sighed as she heard Emma murmur 'Shit', but her heart tugged in sympathy as Emma was clearly in pain.

David noticed Mary Margret's worried look. "I left the spacer and blue inhaler on Emma's bedside table, I'll sort Neal out, you go sort our girl out." David pressed a final kiss onto the side of her head.

Mary Margret smiled gratefully then dragged herself out of the warm bed.

*OUAT*

David lifted Neal into the air above his head, delighting at the sound of his son's giggling, then manoeuvred him to rest on his hip. "Let's start some breakfast, hey buddy, some pancakes sound good don't they?" The toothy smile he received from Neal gave him his answer. He swiftly fastened Neal into his high chair, and gave him a couple of his crocheted knights and his dragon toys, all of which had been a gift from Granny, then started to compile two different flavoured pancake mixes.

As he was on the last of the pancakes, he heard his wife and daughter come down the stairs, Emma's trudging steps were a clear sign of her exhaustion. He turned around to see her drop in the seat next to Neal's high chair, much to Neal's delight, and Mary Margret walked towards him with a frustrated look on her face; clearly she and Emma had had vastly different ideas about Emma coming downstairs.

"She's so stubborn." Mary Margret muttered as she stood by David at the hob. Before David could speak Mary Margret saw what David was making. "David! What happened to making sure that she's eating healthy?" she admonished her husband in a hushed tone.

David flipped over the pancake in the pan. "Honey, Ems _is_ healthy, she was bound to get ill at some point;" David said gently "I know she's really ill now, but that's because she ignored a simple illness, which then got worse. If she wasn't healthy she wouldn't be able to do her job." He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer to him with his hands on her hips.

"I'm overreacting." Mary Margret realised, she looked down guiltily, she had promised herself that she wouldn't be a hover-parent before Neal was born- yet here she was.

"You are." David confirmed with a chuckle, he tilted Mary Margret's chin up, and placed a tender kissed on her lips as a slight blush coloured her cheeks. "But that's your prerogative as her mother."

They looked over at their children, Neal roared as he made the dragon toy fly at the toy knights Emma was holding.

"Hey, squirt, the knights are meant to beat the dragon." Emma complained hoarsely, she easily sounded younger than she was when she complained about the result of the game.

"Daddy!" Neal shouted whilst he pointed at the knights.

"Exactly!" Emma hollered with a cough "So the knights have to win."

Mary Margret could see the pride in David's face at Emma's words, and the love in his eyes as he watched how close their children were despite the massive age difference, she knew those feelings because they were the same ones she felt. It was only after a minute that she saw Emma moving her hand away every time Neal tried to touch her, Mary Margret frowned, normally Emma would have picked Neal up and had him sit with her; perhaps she was feeling worse than she was willing to admit. She placed a hand on her husband's chest to draw him back to his cooking, she took one of the chocolate chip pancakes and cut it up ready for Neal to eat.

*OUAT*

David finally finished preparing the breakfast, he placed the last chocolate chip pancake on top of the other two on Emma's plate. He and Mary Margret started to move in tandem to move the plates of food, David and Mary Margret's dish of strawberries to go with their ordinary pancakes, and the entire family's drinks. David finally deposited Emma's plate, and medicine, down in front of her and dropped a kiss onto the top of her head. "Morning kiddo."

"Hey." Emma said quietly, she focused on eating her breakfast instead, she didn't even react to her favourite type of pancakes.

David shot a worried look at Mary Margret, he hoped he was simply imagining Emma distancing herself, but one look at his wife and he could tell that she had observed it too. Instead of starting a discussion over breakfast they left her to eat, they carried on making general conversation instead, they talked to her but made sure not to pressure her too much to join in talking to them.

"I'm going to find King George today." Emma declared quietly.

"No." Mary Margret returned simply.

David sighed, it became clear to him why Mary Margret had looked how she had when she had descended the stairs with Emma not long before, clearly they had already had this discussion.

"I wasn't asking."

"And I wasn't giving my opinion, Emma," Mary Margret replied just as fiercely as Emma had, "as I told you earlier, you're not going out after George."

Emma finally looked up angrily, there was a determined fire behind Emma's eyes, which neither David nor Mary Margret liked the look of. "I'm the Saviour. It's my job to make sure villains don't hurt us _, I'm going to work_ , I'm going to stop him. I'm going to show them that they can't mess with my family."

"No." David ordered. "You're not going out there with _him_ out and about. The only thing you needed to do as the Saviour was break the first curse, which you did-"

"I'm pretty sure I broke the second one too." Emma narrowed her eyes.

David held his hand up to stop her from speaking any further. He took some calming breaths, then he took hold of Emma's hand, he could feel Emma's pulse beating rapidly through her wrist. "What I'm trying to say, is that you don't have to do anything; you've already gone above and beyond for this town and the people in it. Your mother and I have _got_ this. Just focus on getting better, kiddo. We don't want George and his people the opportunity to hurt you, or your brother, or Henry."

Emma looked down, her breath caught in her throat.

Mary Margret took hold of Emma's other hand "Sweetheart, I know that we haven't protected you before-"

"You did. You have…" Emma interrupted, thinking of about a million time her parents had helped and protected her, even when they hadn't known that they had.

Mary Margret faltered, she hadn't counted on Emma saying that, after all it was naturally their job as parents to protect and help her. "Well, we're going to do it here now as well. Okay Emma?"

Emma looked down at her plate, she understood that her parents wouldn't want their child getting hurt, but they didn't seem to grasp how much either of them getting hurt would destroy her; especially if there were a slight possibility that she could stop George without anyone else getting hurt. "I just wanted to help." She muttered mostly to herself.

"We know, kiddo," David said, "but until you're fully better; you're not going back to work. And I don't want you anywhere near George, ever."

Emma shrank into herself at hearing David's tone, she only heard David speak so sternly to her when he was worried; at the hospital after he heard about George escaping, when she put herself in danger, when he was worried about Mary Margret when she became depressed and reckless after Cora died.

Mary Margret shot David a warning look, they wanted to warn Emma, not make her realise how scared they were: if Emma was anything like her parents, and they all knew that she was, she would react irresponsibly, or recklessly, when scared. "Emma you can't go out to work, but you can help from here: you're amazing at finding people, you know how to figure out which people he would be likely to work with, and we'll be able to help you with any people we knew in the Enchanted forest."

Emma nodded unimpressed but she didn't protest, she carried on pushing bits of food around her plate.

*OUAT*

Emma was not in a good mood, that much was certain, despite her parents' words she still wanted to go to work, evidently neither of her parents would let her out of their sights so she could do so, plus she had to take those disgusting tablets again; she had tried to hide several of them under her plate but David called her out on it and both he and Mary Margret watched her until she took all of them. The nail in the coffin was when she overheard her father was heading off to work, _without her_ , and when her mother told him to stay safe and he replied 'keep the kids safe', clearly they thought she was just as defenceless as her one year old brother.

She wasn't defenceless, she was still good at defending herself and others she was joint sheriff, after all; her biggest defence was her magic, even if she didn't have the cuff still on her wrist her nightmare the previous night was enough to scare her off using it.

As soon as her father closed the front door, Emma headed to the bathroom to run herself a bath, she could tell from her mother's demeanour that she had been waiting to talk to Emma; Emma wasn't prepared for that so early in the morning. Even though the bath water was so hot that steam rose off it, and the mirror and window had clouded with steam, Emma still felt cold.

She washed her hair and knew that she should drag herself out of the bath but she was too preoccupied with her thoughts: The dream she had kept replaying in her mind now that she was alone, there was something off about her magic in it still, she thought about it for a few minutes before she realised; her magic had manifested in a different colour than it usually did but she wasn't even sure if the dream was because of the guy her dad knew, or if it was all her own.

She scrubbed her skin raw as she tried to scrub off the memory of the dream. She pushed herself up and took a moment to stabilise herself as the heat from the bath, and her difficulties breathing, caused her to feel momentarily dizzy. She quickly got dressed and left the room before she could feel dizzy again.

*OUAT*

The cold air hit her like a wall of ice as soon as she left the bathroom. She shivered yet again, she knew she would have to go upstairs to collect a jacket from her room, but the bath had taken it out of her; she hadn't even had enough energy to dry her hair, she had lazily wrapped a towel around her shoulders to stop her hair from dripping onto her clothes. Instead of heading up the stairs she sleepily dragged herself to the couch, almost running into her brother as she did so, she smiled when she saw that he was now dressed similarly to how their father had been dressed that morning.

"You need to dry your hair Emma." Mary Margret said as she watched Emma plop herself down on the couch.

"I'm too tired, mom, I'll do it in a bit." Emma pouted hoping that, if she felt sorry for her, her mother wouldn't make her dry it.

Mary Margret smiled at her daughter "I'll do it for you." she said kindly but firmly, Emma wouldn't be helping her illness if she left her hair wet. Emma nodded once so Mary Margret went and got the stuff she would need.

By the time she got back to the living room, Emma was sat crossed legged in the middle of the couch she was turned sideways with Neal sat cross legged facing her, Emma was drowsily playing her younger brother as he made the toy cars in their hands crash into each other. Even as she was playing with Neal she noticed that Emma was still trying to leave a space between them, almost as if she had erected a brick wall between the two of them. But Mary Margret smiled, as she noticed that Emma had left space behind her for her mother to sit, and she walked over to her children.

Mary Margret watched Emma raise her eyebrow at her, when she saw Mary Margret carrying a comb, a hair bobble, and one of David's shirts, but she didn't say a word. Neal had apparently grown bored of play with Emma and pushed himself off the couch to play with his blocks on the floor. Mary Margret swiftly wrapped Emma's hair with the towel, and helped her into the shirt, she bit her lip as she realised that Emma and Neal were wearing identical shirts.

"I thought you were just drying my hair?" Emma quipped.

"I am, but I was hoping that I could braid it for you as well," Mary Margret replied cheerily, "if you don't want that, it's okay, I'll just brush it out for you."

"No," Emma said quickly, "a braid would be nice." She smiled at her mother and saw the glee in her eye, thankful for the opportunity to do something she should have done a long time ago.

Mary Margret sat down behind Emma and quickly but gently dried Emma's hair. "I remember when my mother did my hair like this." She said, her voice was reminiscent but tinged with sorrow.

"I would have thought you had like servants or something to do your hair."

"I did, but the first time I went to a ball my mother, your grandmother, did my hair." she took Emma's silence as an invitation to continue. "I was eight years old and my mother said that I was finally old enough to attend one of the royal balls. It was fairly small compared to other ones we threw, but to me, it felt huge. There were fancy dresses, amazing food, candles which lit every part of the room. And an orchestra playing the most beautiful music, I took turns dancing with my mother and father, the next day my feet ached and I was exhausted but it was worth it."

Emma turned around to face her mother, forcing Mary Margret to stop brushing Emma's hair momentarily, she smiled at her mother and laced her fingers through hers. "It's probably a good thing I didn't grow up there," Emma joked as she hoped to make her mother smile, "I think I would have stepped on everyone's feet."

"I'm sure your father would have let you dance by standing on his feet." She smirked, though she was sure that David would let Emma do that even at thirty years old, so long as she asked.

"I'm sure I'd still break his feet."

"He still wouldn't mind. Plus, from what I saw of 'Princess Leia', albeit mainly from the book, she was pretty good at dancing." Mary Margret pushed a strand of hair behind Emma's ear. She rearranged her face to one of mock sternness "Now, turn back around, and let me braid your hair."

Emma smirked then turned back around, she relaxed as her mother gently combed her hair, her eyes closed momentarily but her mother's voice forced her to open her eyes again.

"Your father mentioned what happened in your dream." she said softly.

"Of course he did." Emma muttered without heat.

"He's just worried about you." She responded, but she knew Emma wasn't too surprised or bothered by it, if she were she would have bolted. "What was your foster mother like?" she blocked the jealousy she felt that some other woman got to look after her daughter, but the concern and hope about how good a guardian this woman had been to Emma, surely if Emma was so upset about her dream she was a good one bar dragging her in front of a car; and Emma deserved some good in her past.

"Ingrid…She was nice to me." Emma said quietly. "I was placed in the home she ran after I had run away from the previous family I was staying with. When I got there this boy tried to take my video player off me, she stopped him, but when she had gone he told me to hand it over or he'd make my life hell. I decided that I didn't want to stick around. As I was going to leave she caught me, she didn't stop me, but she told me that if I were to stay it would help me to know that the boy was scared of spiders; even the plastic ones she kept in her desk."

Mary Margret pursed her lips, she wasn't sure that was the best way for that situation to be dealt with, although she was glad someone had stuck up for her daughter. "So, you stuck around." she stated.

"Yeah, she was nice, I wasn't there for that long. But she made me feel like I might have a home there, one day, at least." Emma paused thoughtfully. "It wasn't like here, when I came here, when you offered me a place… it felt like a home straight away; that's why I kept going to run, I wasn't sure how to be in a home which wasn't a Home with a capital 'H'."

"You'll always have a home here."

"I know." Emma said quietly. "She was going to adopt me, but I don't think she was a good person, she tried to get me to use my magic; people to force people to do that, typically aren't good people."

Mary Margret could hear how Emma was struggling with her feelings about the woman, she kept braiding Emma's golden hair. "She seems like she cared about you, she may have had some alternative motives but she still seemed to have some genuine feelings about you, and you cared about her." She said with a small smile.

"Yeah." Emma said simply.

"You're worried that you're going to lose control of your magic, and hurt one of us, like in your dream." Mary Margret realised, it suddenly made sense to her why Emma was subtly trying to keep Neal at a safe distance from her, she didn't want to hurt her little brother.

Emma didn't admit it… but she also didn't deny it.

Mary Margret tied the small elastic hair band to the bottom of the French braid, she then placed her hands on either of Emma's shoulders and gently turned her around. "Emma, you're not going to hurt us, we all know that. Sweetheart, your father and I know your magic is a part of you, and you would never hurt us. The _only_ reason that you still have the cuff on your wrist is so that your magic doesn't hurt you, on purpose or as it's trying to protect you, while you're still having these dreams." She placed her hand on Emma's cheek and could feel the heat coming off her in waves.

"I know it has to stay on," Emma said honestly, "I'm okay with it."

"We're going to catch these guys, and we're going to make sure they can't hurt you, or anyone else again."

"What's that mean? We can't kill them."

Mary Margret smiled at Emma's strong morals, even while George was basically having a guy torture her in a way she couldn't escape, she could see herself and David in Emma. "We won't, I promise, we'll send them over the line, we'll stick a cuff on this _Robert's_ wrist so he can't hurt anyone else, and we'll send George and his men over the line separately so they're alone and defenceless." She replied determinedly. She pulled Emma into a gentle hug "We're going to keep you safe Emma. You, Neal, Henry… your father and I are going to keep you all safe."

*OUAT*

"But King George, your highness, the library might be closely guarded: Rumpelstil-". The man's voice shook as he spoke his voice was full of both fear and respect, he tripped over his words as he hastily tried to make George consider the task he had just given him.

"I know, Rumpelstiltskin is an unpredictable danger, even without him being in this town there's still a chance that he will have his _ex-maid_ protected." George sneered as he thought about the glittery demon, he may have given him James, but he also gave him David; the man responsible for George's army being defeated and him losing everything. "You're the one who helped me out of the coalmine. You can handle this, we have trust in you, Richard."

The red-haired man puffed up his chest with pride, when he spoke again the anxiety was gone from his voice, it was replaced instead with hope. "Are we really going to home, sire?"

"Only if you can get this information."

"I won't let you down, sire." He bowed, he waited for George to give him a nod of dismissal, then he exited the room. He jumped out of his skin when he almost ran into the scar-faced-man who was stood by the door hidden from the other men in the shadows. Richard hastily exited the room.

*OUAT*

"He still thinks that we're going back to the Enchanted forest then?" he asked George as he swaggered towards George.

"You know, most people wait until they're invited to enter the room of a king, and speak to me with more respect."

"I'm so sorry, your highness" he said with exaggerated reverence, bowing deeply as he did so. "But he does believe that, doesn't he?"

"Yes." George chuckled. "He does, but he is an idiot, and he's completed his usefulness."

"And if your… if David and Snow White find him, he could spill our whereabouts, and whatever he knows of your plans…"

"He knows nothing. You know more than any of the others…"

"And I know _nothing_." He interrupted.

"Well, what do you expect? I have your service, but I know I don't have your loyalty. I will have it eventually."

Edward stared defiantly at George.

George smirked, any other man would have cowered before Edward's imposing stature, but George had the man firmly on a, metaphorical, leash. He walked out of the room.

"Will you ever tell me what happened to them?" Edward shouted after him.

"One day." George turned back to him, now just a shadow in the open doorway, his hands rested on his hips. "Gather some men, get them ready to seize food from one of the grocery places on the outskirts of town, and create some diversions across the town; let's keep the Shepherd busy while he plays sheriff." George turned to leave, once more, but faltered once again. "Make sure they attack them tonight, I want David and his friends to be kept busy tomorrow, while we fully establish a plan for attacking his weak spot."

"And what would his weak spot be?"

George smirked "His family." he sneered.


	14. Chapter 14

David sighed as he looked down at the map, he crossed a squared off the grid map in red marker, he threw the marker down on the desk so angrily that it bounced on the desk and rolled across the floor and hit the wall near the entrance to the rest of the building. He sat down heavily on his chair and pulled his phone out of his pocket, he wasn't surprised to see no new messages off of his wife, or from anyone else, after all he'd been checking it every few minutes; there was no new information or ideas about where George could be, and David's family were all fine and, more importantly, safe. His head snapped up when he heard heels clicking on the floor of the bullpen, another, more scuffing set, followed the first.

Henry nonjudgmentally placed the red pen back on David's desk, as he shot a sympathetic smile at his grandfather, Regina, on the other hand, didn't even glance at David instead she stared intently at the map which had five other identical crosses. Her shoulders dropped disappointedly, but when she looked up her expression was mainly blank but David could see his own worry reflected in her eyes, she placed a stack of manilla-folders on top of the map.

David wiped his hand across his face, he wiped away his tired expression, and looked up at his grandson smiling. "Hey kid, how was school?" he asked casually, his eyes flickered from the map to Regina.

"Henry already knows about George." Regina confirmed. "It's been my experience, that the more I try to keep from my son, the more he runs head first into the danger." She shot her son a look that was equal parts fondness and a kind of pride mixed with irritation.

"That sounds like Emma." David drawled, but the two parents shared a look of worry at their shared proclivity for trying to stop their kids from putting themselves in danger.

"It sounds like _all_ of you." Henry corrected with a lazy smirk. But the look quickly fell away, his eyebrows drew together, and worry over took his features. "You _are_ going to find him, aren't you?"

Regina ran a hand over down Henry's back "Of course we are." She replied confidently.

But Henry didn't look as convinced. "Please be careful," he begged, "I don't want any of you to get hurt: I don't want to lose any more of my family."

"You won't; I promise." David assured him as he placed his hand on Henry's shoulder.

"Henry, good always wins, remember?" Regina added. "You told me that, now all we need you to do is carry on believing it."

Henry looked at his mother and grandfather, then nodded once, his shoulders dropped as he relaxed.

David smiled at Henry and squeezed his shoulder once more then he turned to Regina. "Are these the files?" he nodded toward the desk.

"Most of them are criminals from the depths of depravity so they seem like George's type," she dismissed, "but some are, or at least _were_ , genera low life sell-swords. Some were hunters- "

"- Like Graham?" David asked, the moment he did so he regretted it, although he still had anger at Regina's past crimes they had agreed to move past it for Henry's sake.

Regina's face flickered from regret to shame at the mention of the previous sheriff's name. "People who were dangerous, given the right circumstances, who may have been blackmailed for whatever reason. And one or two, we know basically nothing about, they could be innocent, but they might not be."

"Thank you, Regina." David said sincerely.

"So, do I get to help?" Henry asked as he flicked open the top file, "I'm guessing this guy got into a lot of fights." He joked when he caught sight of the scarred faced picture.

"No, these are just for Emma to look at tomorrow, odds are there won't be much of interest, They're mainly to keep your mother out of trouble." David said, willing his grandson to understand.

"Gramps, I can help." Henry implored.

"No." Regina said sternly "Henry, you can know what's happening, but I don't want you to be a part of this; do you understand?"

Henry looked to his grandfather, in the hope that he would gain some support, but he got none. He looked down and when he looked back up there was a determined look behind his eye. "I understand." He answered honestly.

"How is Emma?" Regina asked, changing the subject.

"She's still having the nightmares; we try to get her to talk about them but they're really hard on her." David sighed. "The sooner we catch this…" his eyes flickered to his grandson momentarily "…this… guy, the better."

"My mom could help her," Henry volunteered hopefully, "couldn't you, mom?"

Regina thought for a moment. "I can try, it'll be a lot of work on Emma's part, but I think I'll be able to." She was rewarded with a wide smile from Henry.

"Thank you, Henry can you grab the laptop bag from the office for me?" David smiled. "We should get going, Mary Margret will be expecting us."

"She'll be okay, David." Regina said once Henry had gone to the office, she watched as David's face turned from worried to touched at her words. She became aware that if she didn't say anything else she may be about to get a speech from David similar to ones that Mary Margret was fond of, and she was not prepared to deal with that. "After all, it'll take more than this to take down one of your family, I should know I've been trying for long enough."

Before David could fire back a response Henry re-entered the room.

"Good…erm… good luck on your… have fun…" David said awkwardly as he they all walked out of the station.

Regina simply shook her head at him, astounded that this was the same man who was a prince who could give rousing speeches, and inspire hundreds of people. Instead she smoothed down Henry's coat and kissed the top of his head, a harder feat now that he had grown so much taller. "Be good at your grandparents, if you need me ring and I'll be there straight away, okay." She looked uneasy at leaving her son.

"I'll be fine." Henry grinned.

Regina watched as Henry got safely into the car before she got into her own.

*OUAT*

"So," David started as he feigned interest in two different types of tomato paste, "are you okay? You seemed a little upset yesterday while you were playing that game with Emma."

Henry rolled his eyes and threw his head back. "You were listening, weren't you?"

David's head whipped around to look at Henry, he dropped his mouth open and tried to look offended, when Henry raised his eyebrow David dropped the pretence. "I didn't mean to, but when you both seemed upset, I couldn't help myself…" He gave an apologetic smile.

"I'm fine."

David didn't look fully convinced. "Are you sure? Your happiness matters to your grandma and I as much as Emma's does."

"Honestly, gramps, I'm fine. I wasn't so much when I was a kid, but since I got my family, I have been. I have two moms who love me, and I have you and grandma, even Neal."

David pulled Henry into a side hug. "Good, I'm glad you're okay." David smiled. "Now, let's get the groceries, before your grandma blows up my phone. "

"My mom is okay, isn't she?" Henry asked as they wandered down the isles picking up ingredients as they went.

"Yeah, she's going to fine, she just needs rest." David told him but he looked unconvinced. "She's mainly been complaining and sleeping, she misses you," he told him, "she's going to get better we just need to keep her home. You're not the only one being kept out of the action." Henry smiled so David was pretty sure that he had convinced him.

"You know, I'll never understand your and your mother's obsession with such sweet things." David remarks ten minutes later as Henry filled the basket with caramel sauce, fudge cubes, and whipped cream, but despite his sarcastic tone he put a carton of moose tracks ice cream in the basket too.

"It's simple," Henry explained, "it tastes really good."

David rolled his eyes but didn't make the boy put any of the items back, he went to lead him to the checkout but found Henry staring at a display. "Star Wars, haven't we got those? We could watch those tonight if you want."

"No, this one's a new one out." Henry explained excitedly. "It still has the Skywalkers, but Luke goes missing, and Han and Leia have a son but…"

David chuckled and interrupted his grandson "Put it in the basket."

*OUAT*

David and Henry walked into the loft, as soon as Henry looped the computer bag over the back of the kitchen chair, he went to join his rather grumpy looking mother on the couch.

Mary Margret walked into the kitchen as David placed the files, and the grocery bags, onto the island counter. She pulled David into a kiss he quickly copied the movements, Mary Margret laid her hand on David's chest and slowly pulled away.

"Missed me?" he smirked.

"Yes," she told him honestly, "I couldn't help but worry about you all day, even with your text updates."

"I felt the same." He admitted "I wanted to be here so I could know that you three were safe, but I also-"

"-Wanted to do something of action, something productive, to _do_ something." Mary Margret finished, the determined tone in which she spoke made it clear that clear that the feeling was mutual.

"Well, at least we're together now." David smiled.

Mary Margret walked over to the stack of files while David put the tub of ice cream into the freezer. "You brought work home?"

"They're for Em." David explained.

"Ah I see," Mary Margret joked, "I had Emma all day but you've already decided it's too much."

"I thought she might behave better if she had a toy." David tallied with a chuckle.

Mary Margret smiled as if she didn't believe it would work, but her face dropped as she flicked open the top file absentmindedly. "David, who the hell is this?"

David span around to face the door, he turned so that his left side was forward, ready for a fight. But he found the door fully shut and locked and no one in his sights.

"David," she called he rushed over to her side, "who's this man?"

"We only have his name, 'Edward', Regina thinks that he might be working with George, but because we have no information on him we can't be sure." He frowned. "You know him?" David demanded astounded and worried.

"He… I think I saw him in the hospital… he was looking into Emma's room but he was doing it so casually that I didn't think much of it. I thought, perhaps, because of his scar he might have been a patient."

"We'll put him on the list of people then."

"Even if he's not working for George I want to know why he was looking through my daughter's window" She demanded fiercely.

David nodded in agreement, he could almost hear Emma calling them overprotective, but he didn't care and he doubted his wife would either. The two started to prepare the dinner.

"David, be careful with the flour, we don't want it to go everywhere."

"Oh we don't, do we?" David raised his eyebrow playfully, he grabbed a handful of flour a blew it out of his palm at his wife.

But Mary Margret was too quick, she ducked out of the flours path, she laughed but when she stood up David wrapped her in his arms, and white imprints stained Mary Margret's clothes.

"Okay you win," Mary Margret said begrudgingly, "now let me out."

But David kept his arms firmly around her "I win, so what's my prize?" he demanded in mock petulance.

Mary Margret turned her head towards him and pulled him into a passionate kiss. "Will that do?" she asked as she pulled away.

"For now." He smiled as their eyes locked.

"Ew," Emma complained hoarsely as way of a greeting, "God, get a room."

"We had one." David countered drily. "It's nice to see you too, Emma."

"Hey." Emma said softly, she looked at David as though she was relieved, but David wasn't sure why.

Mary Margret took advantage of David's distraction and pulled herself out of her husband's now loosened grip. "Emma, you're meant to be resting." She said sternly, she had already had to tell Emma about it about a million times, the only time Emma was resting was when she was asleep the rest of the time she was being _trying_ to say the least.

"I was just getting a drink, will the warden allow that, or is it back to my cell?"

"Emma." David said warningly.

Emma sighed. "I'm sorry. Can I please get a drink?" She directed to her mother.

"You may, but Emma you can ask us for things, you don't have to do everything yourself."

Emma nodded but she brushed off the statement. "You have flour on you, by the way."

Mary Margret sighed and sent a glare to David she moved to the bathroom to wiped the powder off of her.

David washed his hands in the kitchen sink and watched Emma pour herself a drink, instead of moving back to the living room, she leant against the island.

"Are you okay, Em?" he asked as he touched his daughter's arm.

"I'm glad you're okay." Emma said not meeting his eye, she placed her drink down and leaned her head against her father's chest. She had restrained herself from darting into the kitchen as soon as her father had entered the room, her dream had really put her on edge about his safety, particularly in the station which she had dreamt falling down around him.

"Of course I am," He said surprised, but he wrapped his arm around Emma his hand automatically went to the back of her head, Emma shivered in his arms "but you should go get back under your blankets, you're obviously freezing. "

Emma nodded but stayed safe in her father's arms for another minute.

David brushed Emma's hair back behind her ear, he could tell that something was going through her head, but he couldn't figure out what. He noticed Mary Margret walk back over to them, and he sent her a worried look.

"She was worried about you today, I think, she kept asking about you and when you were going to get home. Her dream made her scared about hurting us all." Mary Margret told David quietly after they watched Emma walk back to the living room.

"She told you that?" David's mouth dropped.

"Not really, but it was pretty simple to figure out." Mary Margret said as though it was not a big deal.

"Only because you're so good with her," he complimented, "you know her really well. Speaking of her dream," he said as he kneaded one portion of the dough, "Henry convinced Regina to come here tomorrow, she thinks she might be able to help Emma block out the dreams."

Mary Margret paused kneading the other portion of dough "Good, I'm glad that there might be a way for these to stop, it's not fair that she has to go through this. I just wish we could take them away for her."

"Me too, but we're doing all we can to help her, and we will catch him." David squeezed her hand.

*OUAT*

"Is it time to decorate the pizza?" Henry asked excitedly as David and Mary Margret walked into the room.

David couldn't contain his laughter; Henry had been excited to be making pizza since David had told him about it before they had even got to the store. "Told you." he muttered to his wife.

Mary Margret rolled her eyes at her husband but then smiled at her grandson. "We have to let the dough rise for a little while first." She told him. "What were you three up to?" she asked her children and grandson kindly.

"Well," Emma said, "Henry and I were trying to find something to watch, and Neal was trying to shove his wooden bricks into the VCR, there isn't by the way."

"There isn't a way to shove bricks into the VCR?" David asked confused.

"No," Emma dragged out with a sigh, "there's nothing to watch."

Henry and David shot each other smirks, but kept the movie a surprise.

"Well, there is something we can watch while we eat our pizza," Mary Margret grinned, "but for now why don't we play a game?"

"We're not playing Monopoly." Emma quickly added before Henry had a chance to suggest it.

Henry opened his mouth to suggest another option when David interrupted him.

"Or cards." He shot Emma a look.

"I don't cheat." Emma rolled her eyes and said somewhat huffily.

"Okay, how about Mario Kart?" Henry advocated. When none of his family disagreed Henry smiled. "Good, Grandma's on my team!"

"What happened to guys sticking together?" David's mouth dropped.

"We do," Henry paused, "but Grandma has faster reflexes. Anyway, she's just better at it she didn't spend nearly, after all, she didn't spend twenty-eight years asleep."

Mary Margret blossomed under the praise, she moved to sit at Henry's side on the floor, and handed him a controller.

Emma laughed at Henry's remark.

"I don't know what you're laughing at, _princess_ ," David teased, he watched Emma's grin drop with the nickname, "you're on my team." He handed her one of the two remotes in his hand.

Emma rolled her eyes but moved her legs off of the couch so he could sit next to her.

As soon as David had settled down on the couch Mary Margret leaned to rest her back against his legs.

Emma was busy trying to hide a yawn when the game started "Hey no fair!" she protested as she tried to catch up to the others.

"Come on, Em, keep up." David encouraged.

"Emma, are you okay?" David asked worriedly.

A nanosecond later Mary Margret darted into the kitchen to get Emma a drink.

David relinquished the minor lead he had over his wife and grandson as he dropped his remote and rubbed Emma's back.

"It's okay Emma, just keep trying to breathe." He had the inhaler in his hand ready for when she had stopped.

"Mom?" Henry asked waveringly.

"I'm okay." Emma squeaked when her coughing had calmed down.

The race ended with David and Emma coming seventh and eighth respectively.

"Hey Henry," Mary Margret said slyly, "it'd be a real shame if someone threw that blue shell about now."

"Henry don't you da-"

"- Too late!" Henry announced proudly.

"You're grounded kid." Emma grumbled as the cloud recovered her character.

"What!" Henry's head darted around to look at his mother, before he realised she was purposely distracting him, causing him to fall as well.

"Emma, if you ground him for your faults at Mario Kart, I'll ground yo…" Mary Margret faltered and interrupted herself with a shout. "DAVID NOLAN!"

Mary Margret's kart was placed back onto the mushroom just as David flew over the line with Emma hot on his heels.

"Yes." Emma hissed in a whisper, she threw her control into her la in jubilation, and even obliged in high-fiving her father.

"It's okay, we're still leading and there's one race left." Henry was consoled by his grandmother.

"Yeah, good luck beating us." David gloated to his wife.

David and Emma were in the lead for the first lap, but as the music sped up, Neal lost interest in building his tower.

"Help." he announced, he weaved around his mother on the floor, and used his father's legs to pulled himself onto the couch.

"Oh buddy," David said kindly, as Mary Margret sped in front of him, "you can't really help with this game, why don't you play with your cars." He took his eyes off the game to look at his son, giving Henry the opportunity to take the third place from his grandfather.

Neal stared at David for a moment, he was clearly thinking hard about something, he turned to Emma with a huge smile on his face. "Help Emmy." He decided.

"What!" Emma's head snapped to her brother, then she quickly looked back at the television screen. "I mean, sorry squirt, not right now."

Neal, however, ignored his sister's request and carried on grinning at her "Emmy" he dragged out as though it would convince her.

"Go help mommy." Emma forced herself to sound excited in hopes that she would be the one to convince him.

"Nope."

Emma quickly moved her control so that Neal wouldn't hit his head as he launched himself into her lap.

"Neal be careful buddy, Emmy's poorly, remember?" David reminded his son kindly as he moved him from Emma's to his own lap, as he did so both Henry and Mary Margret lapped the pair and the race ended.

Emma groaned and threw her head back when the screen announced that they were the losers.

"Remember, Em, it's just a game." David said quietly.

"Yeah, I know, but they're never going to let us live it down that we lost." Emma grumbled.

"Why don't we go decorate the pizzas." Mary Margret suggested.

David hoisted Neal onto his hip as Henry and Emma led the way to the kitchen. "You know, that wasn't a fair game, you totally cheated." He kept his voice quiet so Emma wouldn't start complaining again.

"I have no idea what you mean," Mary Margret smiled sweetly. "You seemed to have it under control… until you lost, that is."

David narrowed his eyes playfully "We're so having a rematch."

*OUAT*

"Last bite little man," David encouraged Neal "open up for the airplane."

Mary Margret looked fondly at her husband and son, as David finished feeding Neal his dinner in his high chair, she brushed her hand across David's shoulders as she walked past him. "Soon you'll be able to fight dragons," Mary Margret said with a smile she had already guessed what David's reaction would be to the next part of her sentence, "just like your daddy and your big sister."

"You won't be fighting any dragons," David lifted Neal out of the highchair, "nor will your sister." He shot a look to Emma who was sat on the couch with Henry.

Mary Margret couldn't see Emma's reaction to the look David was giving her, but she could guess it was probably an eye roll, though she knew that Emma wasn't overly eager to fight anymore dragons. She opened the oven and was hit with a wall of heat, the smell of the freshly made pizza drifted out and filled the room. "Dinner's ready!" she called to Henry and Emma.

David walked over to the kitchen with Neal in his arms and collected four plates, and a plastic plate for Neal, and placed them on the counter ready to take through. He looked up to see Emma walking towards the table and he nudged his wife.

When her eyes met Emma she spoke. "Actually, I thought we could eat in front of the television tonight." she suggested mildly.

Emma's eyes widened and she looked from her mother to her father. "Dad, I think mom might be having a breakdown."

David widened his eyes good-humouredly "Yeah, you should probably go sit back down before she comes back to her senses."

Emma obliged and walked quickly back to the couch.

"Hey Henry," he tilted his head to beckon him over to the kitchen, "you want to put this on?" he whispered and passed Henry the DVD they had bought earlier.

He kissed the side of Mary Margret's head to show he was only joking, he was relieved to see Mary Margret smile, and then he placed Neal down on the ground. "Go sit near Emmy, buddy." He instructed. "Do you want me to carry the pizzas?" he asked her.

"You can carry one I'll carry the other." She suggested as she picked up the jug of iced tea and one or the pizzas.

He swiftly slipped the jug from her hand and placed it on top of the plates before he picked up the other pizza.

"My hero." She joked without malice.

*OUAT*

"So do I finally get to see what we're watching?" Emma asked with a slight hint of a whine in her voice. "What version of my mom and dad's story are we watching?"

"You only had to wait an hour." Henry chuckled, while his grandfather had been feeding his uncle, which was still a strange concept for him to think about, his mother had been trying to guess what it was they were going to be watching. Every time she had predicted a film linked to her mother, Henry couldn't help but smile, even when he had said no she didn't believe him. He had made sure to switch the television to a blank screen so Emma wouldn't see what it was before it started to play.

"You really think I'm brave enough to pick a film based on this world's version of your mother?" David asked dryly and he passed Emma a plate of the meat and cheese loaded pizzas. "Plus they don't really make me seem that good, in real life I'm much more heroic."

Emma let out a puff of laughter. "Sure you are, dad."  
She bit her lip once David sat down in the corner of the couch, she shook let her heart control her, and she moved to the centre of the couch next to her father. She wasn't sure if it was because she was ill, because she was really tired, or because she was worried about what was going to happen with George; but she felt like she wanted to be closer to her parents, she felt safer the closer she was to them.

Henry smiled when he saw his mother move closer to his grandfather, he loved being able to see how much closer she was to them nowadays, she was so different than she was when she had originally come to the town, and so much happier than when they were both living in New York- they both were. Henry left a space for Mary Margret to sit next to Emma, he received a grateful smile in return, he grabbed the remote control and hit play then placed the control onto the table so he could eat his pizza.

"Wait, really?" Emma's mouth gaped open in excitement when the music started to play, she quickly shut it so that she wasn't showing her half eaten food to everyone, she looked from David to Henry trying to suss which one of their idea it was.

"Don't look at me, kiddo," David told her and he nodded at Henry, "it was all his idea."

"Good choice kid." Emma said with pride.

"Thanks, _Princess Leia_." Henry smirked as his grandparents laughed, Neal copied them as he chewed on a pizza crust.

"Urgh, I'm taking that back." But Emma couldn't stop the smile from appearing on her face.

*OUAT*

"Luke's the one who kissed his sister, right?" David asked as soon as the words started to drift up the screen.

"He didn't know! No one knew!" Emma defended.

"I still think it's weird." Mary Margret muttered.

"BB-8!" Henry announced happily as soon as the droid appeared on the screen. "Hey mom, do you think you could make a droid out of magic like that one?"

"I've got to admit that would be pretty cool," Emma looked down at the cuff on her wrist "I'll try when I'm feeling better," she decided then she looked at the crowded loft, "and perhaps keep it at your other mom's."

"Is this guy a good guy or a bad guy?" enquired Mary Margret when Poe appeared on screen.

"Watch and find out." Henry told her.

"Those uniforms would be so hard to keep clean." Emma noted.

Mary Margret and David looked at her in surprise, Emma wasn't one of the neatest people, especially when it came to her car, so they found it odd that she would think of that.

"Just making an observation." Emma explained, somewhat offended, when she saw her parents looks.

Emma placed her plate on the table after eating two slices, even though the pizza smelt amazing, she couldn't force herself to eat anymore. "She's so cool." Emma said as soon as Rey's covered face appeared on screen.

"She hasn't done anything yet, Em." David said with laughter in his voice, he didn't mind missing parts of the film to hear Emma's commentary, as her excitement over the movie made up for it.

"She even does that coolly."

' _For my family, they'll be back, one day.'_  
The line echoed around the room and Emma, unknowingly, moved closer to her father, David and Mary Margret shot each other a smile over her head when they noticed that her face contained not even a hint of sadness.

*OUAT*

The pizzas were soon finished, David stood up and took Emma's plate from the table, Mary Margret smiled at him and took Henry's.

Neal looked back at his parents and rapidly passed his mother his plate. "Done." He told her.

"You know there's a pause button for a reason". Emma complained as she dived to hit the pause button on the control.

"It's okay, you can carry on watching it." Mary Margret said, she was glad to see her daughter relaxing.

"No, I don't want you to miss it." she said knowing that Kylo Ren's parentage was about to be revealed and if her parents missed that then they'd be lost for most of the film.

"Okay," Mary Margret smiled warmly, "we'll be back in a minute."

*OUAT*

They both quickly washed up the dishes, and David grabbed four dishes and the moose tracks and vanilla ice cream tubs, Mary Margret made up dishes for her and David.

"Henry's…done… now Emma's…"

"Okay I know I said I wasn't going to make Emma eat ultra-healthy, but…" she trailed off eyeing up the ice cream which was now laden with sauce, fudge pieces, and whipped cream.

"This is more of a bribe." He explained. "I don't know about you but I'm too tired to spend half an hour trying to convince her to take her medicine."

"That's actually a good idea." She said surprised, she had figured that David was simply trying to spoil Emma.

"I've been told that I have them occasionally." He joked, he accepted a kiss from her, and decided that he should come up with good ideas more often.

"I'm going to get Neal into his pyjamas while you get Emma to take her tablets." Mary Margret smiled as she pulled back. "Neal, sweetie, come here!" she called as she stepped away.

David sighed, obviously the kiss wasn't a reward for a good idea, but in fact just as much a bribe as the ice cream was for Emma.  
"Em, come through here a second, please." He requested, within a minute or two he saw

"What's up?" She asked around a yawn.

"You need to take your tablets."

"No thanks."

"If you don't, then this nice ice cream sundae gets through down the sink." He countered bluntly.

"You wouldn't." she crossed her arms as she stood across from him, the two standing as though they were in a standoff, although she supposed they were in one, of sorts.

"Try me." He picked up the dish and walked slowly towards the sink.

"Wait!" Emma held her hands up in surrender as he held the dish above the sink and slowly started to tip it.

Emma slowly took the tablets, her eyes kept flickering up to where the dish was still being held, she moved about the tablet capsules hoping she'd be able to befuddle her father into thinking she'd taken them all.

"And the steroid ones." David said firmly.

Emma jumped at his deep voice. "How'd you know?"

"I know you, plus," he admitted, "you've been trying to avoid taking them since you got them."

"You're the worst." She pouted half-heartedly, she looked up quickly to see if David had taken her words to heart and was relieved to see he was only just containing a smile. She sighed once more and took the tablets.

"See, that wasn't so hard." David mocked with a smile after she swallowed the last one, "I just wat you to be able to get better, Em, and the only way to do that is by you taking them." he passed her the dish.

"I know; they still suck though." Emma grumbled, she ate a spoonful of the ice cream and made a face of complete bliss as the frozen goodness slid down her sore throat.

*OUAT*

"You're the best, gramps!" Henry exclaimed when he was handed his big dish of ice cream.

"Thanks Henry." He replied with pride as he scooped Neal onto his lap.

Henry looked into David's dish and frowned at the plain vanilla ice cream sprinkled sparsely on top, "You're seriously missing out."

"Yeah, on diabetes." David retorted just as dryly.

"I love Maz." Henry said with a toothy grin as the gang headed into the bar.

"Same," agreed Emma, "there's a really good bit soon, with Rey and Maz." Emma told her parents excitedly.

"Who are Rey's parent?" David asked after Rey was shown the vision.

"We're not sure yet." Henry told him. "I think it might be Luke Skywalker though, it'd be pretty cool."

"You're right, kid, that would be pretty cool."

"Is that Leia?" Mary Margret asked with fondness, when they had previously watched the other films that had been her favourite character, although she had to admit she was a fan of Poe despite only seeing him briefly so far.

"Yup," Emma confirmed, she leaned against her mother sleepily "she reminds me of you, you're both pretty badass."

Mary Margret's face lit up at the compliment.

"I guess they didn't want to see the end of the film." David said quietly he stood up with Neal asleep in his arms, careful not to jostle him, and saw both Emma and Henry leaning against Mary Margret asleep.

"I guess not." She said with quiet laughter. "They were right though; it is a good film... Did I see you crying at it before?"

"Nope… I'm going to ignore that Han died." David smiled doggedly "I'll put Neal to bed then take Henry back home."

*OUAT*

By the time David got back to the loft, Mary Margret had already gone to bed, but had left one of the lamps on so he could still find his way to the bathroom without tripping over any astray toys. He darted from the bathroom to his bedroom on the other side of the loft as quickly as he could as the cold bit at him.

The bedside light was on low so that Mary Margret could see when David came in. "Hey." She whispered, so not to wake Neal who was lightly snoring a few feet away wrapped up tight against the cold which had onset suddenly.

"Hey," David whispered back, "I spoke to Leroy before I drove home, it's been quiet since I left the station earlier, so touch wood we'll have a quiet night. And it looks like it's going to only get colder soon so that might deter George from any plans he might have, at least for the time being." David pressed the button on the screen to 'Do not disturb'.

"Good. Was Henry okay?"

"Yeah he fell back asleep in the car so I carried him in." He slid under the covers and straight away he felt Mary Margret cuddle up to him. "How was Emma?"

"She was asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow, I'm just hoping she stays that peaceful."

"Me too." He felt his eyes grow heavier and drift close. "Goodnight my love."

"Goodnight, Charming."

*OUAT*

"Hey, mate," he threw the key to the shaved haired man, "here's my key to the Rabbit Hole; leave it under the brick outside of my building, yeah? I need to take a shower tonight and I don't fancy driving back here to grab the key before I can get home."

Edward overheard their conversation, and turned looked at him as though he were stupid, which he wasn't far off. "You can't keep staying your apartment, that's just sloppy, they could trace that back to you. There's a place for you to sleep here, and there's a place for you to sleep at the new hide out, you'd be idiotic not to take them."

"Maybe I don't trust the company." He retorted viciously.

"George trusts me enough to be in charge of you lot," Edward narrowed his eyes at Kyle, "I'm pretty sure he can trust me not to slit your throat while you sleep."

"All of us are loyal to our king, the _rightful_ king," Kyle declared, "if I was caught I'd do _Davey_ in."

Edward rolled his eyes at the younger man, he stepped to him. "No you won't,

"I ain't gonna get caught." Kyle tugged his arm from Edward's hold. "If I do, I won't say anything." He assured the other man gruffly. He nodded to the two men on his right and they set off out of the door.

Edward shook his head at the closed door, the cough behind him made him turn back to face the others in the room, the shaved hair man smiled supportively at him. "I'm taking my team out now, we'll be back later, it won't be until the early hours though; will we be in here or the old place?"

"The old place," Edward told him decidedly, "and Zachary, don't get caught." He warned.


	15. Chapter 15

A cough woke Mary Margret up, it took her a second to realise that the coughing was coming from the baby monitor in the corner of the room, from Emma. David stirred slightly, but didn't wake as the coughing quickly ceased, but Mary Margret lay awake listening intently over the monitor.

Emma had woken up several times already that night with miniature asthma attacks, mainly brought on by coughing, some of the times Emma had woke up and started to take her inhalers but David had quickly woken up and gone to check on her; even when he heard the click of the medicine being activated and the forcedly calm breaths. Mary Margret had woken up each time but David had insisted on him going up, his reason being that Mary Margret would need sleep ready for the next day if they were going to make any progress in their search for George.

Mary Margret waited to hear if Emma would wake and take the inhaler, when she didn't Mary Margret debated waking David up, but she decided against it; he was already exhausted from being up with Emma the previous night and searching for George most of the previous day: he may not be going out to work the next day but he needed to be rested enough to protect their children if it came to that.

She internally sighed at herself, she knew that she wouldn't be able to sleep until she made sure that Emma was okay, and made sure she took the inhaler. She rolled out of bed quickly, pulled her dressing gown tightly around her to protect herself from the cold and set off up the stairs, she was careful to miss the squeaky step so that she wouldn't wake David.

*OUAT*

_Emma coughed, she felt as though something was caught in her throat, but the more she coughed the more her throat hurt; and her chest for that matter._

_She felt a hand on her left shoulder. She turned slowly as if she were in water, she couldn't tell if it was the dream forcing her to turn, or if some other part of her was trying to stop her from turning. When she fought hard enough to face the hand's owner she was met with the face of her mother._

_But she wasn't in her usual attire which Emma had become familiar with from her 'Mary Margret' predominantly pastel wardrobe, nor was she wearing the neutral and forest style tones of her fairy tale life. No, Mary Margret was wearing something much different, yet something still oddly familiar to Emma: clothing inspired by the Disney interpretation of her. The tight blue corset of the dress clung to her skeletal body like a cruel caricature, the yellow skirt of the dress wasn't full like in the animation but was limp and looked as though it had been yellowed by age instead of by dye. The red shoes on her feet were dirtied, and the satin was, torn identical to the hairband on her head. Her hair was drooping down to her jaw in a loose bob, or perhaps it was long and simply put up, it was too dark for Emma to make out. Her mother's face was ashen, and her lips were blood red, her green eyes stood out in contrast but they lacked their usual kindness. It was like she was looking at a Zombie-Disney version of her mother._

" _At least I know that this isn't that bastard's dream," Emma muttered, "I'm pretty sure you would have destroyed anyone who watched that film." Emma smiled, but the smile quickly dropped when she realised that her mother didn't defend herself, or even look disapprovingly at Emma's cursing; she was simply looking through Emma.  
"Mom?" Emma asked uncertainly. "Mom, what are you doing? We have to find George." She wasn't sure why she was saying that, but she could feel her heart quicken as she searched the treeline, looking for the bald man she barely remembered as the D.A trying to prosecute Mary Margret._

_When she looked back at her mother, her face was even whiter than it was before, Mary Margret's face contorted into one of terror._

" _Emma!" She screeched in such a high pitch way, that Emma was forced to cover her ears, she ducked her head as she did so._

_When she looked up, her mother wasn't there._

_She looked around, frantically searching for were her mother had gone, she couldn't see even a glimpse of the red cape in the grey tree line. "Mom!" she cried out desperate._

_She felt another, heavier, hand land on her shoulder. It squeezed her shoulder once, and she span around, she drew her hands up ready to protect herself against whoever it might be._

" _Dad?" Emma's voice wavered and she slowly dropped her hands. "What happened to you? Where's mom?"_

*OUAT*

Mary Margret had reached the top of the stairs when she heard her daughter's voice calling out for her. Mary Margret's maternal instincts kicked into overdrive, Emma's voice sounded despairing, although she was sure Emma was just having a bad dream, she wanted to just help her daughter.

She ran passed Henry's bed, her footsteps were naturally light a habit she had picked up while on the run while she was younger, she rounded the corner at a fast pace. Emma was still asleep, Mary Margret could tell from the way that Emma's brows were drawn together that she was definitely having a nightmare, and she was withering under the covers of her bed in distress.

"Emma." Mary Margret sat on the bed on the side with the empty space she kept her voice calm so not to make Emma's dream worse as she tried to wake her up.

*OUAT*

_David's right eye was engulfed by a violet bulge, the white of his eye was bloodshot, and red had filled the lighter crevices of his blue iris. A cut sliced through the corner of his mouth, red still poured out of it, blood splattered across his face and Emma wasn't sure if it was his or someone else's. The violet bruise of his eye matched the bags under his eyes and stood out against his pallid skin. David's mouth was turned up in disgust, his jaw was set in anger, and his eyebrows had been brought together; he stared at Emma in a way she had never even thought she would see: shame, disappointment, and resentment; just complete hatred._

" _Dad?" her voice was small, she could feel herself bring her shoulders up, she slowly stepped backwards._

" _You." he snarled with contempt._

" _Dad?" Emma coughed, and tried to speak with confidence, but could feel her voice shaking. "Dad, where's mom? I lost her. I can't find mom."_

_David's head dropped down, he looked like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders, Emma followed his sight._

_A gravestone._

" _Here lies Mary Margret Blanchard," she read out loud, she felt her words stick in her throat, she felt as though her whole world was coming apart inside her and she was helpless to stop it. "Grandmother to Henry. Wife to David. Mother to Neal. Taken too soon."_

" _It's your fault." David practically growled next to Emma._

" _I'm sorry." Half of Emma's words were too quiet to make it out of her mouth. She wasn't sure what it was that she did, what made it her fault, but she was sure that he was right._

" _She died trying to save you," he told her like he had read her mind, perhaps he had, "she went up against George instead of you…. you should have been the one to face him, not her." He stressed._

_The words stuck in her head, they replayed again and again like a stuck record, her eyes were fixed on the gravestone… Her mother's gravestone…. She had got her mother killed, she didn't deserve to be called her daughter on the granite._

" _You need to get out of here," David hissed snakelike, "she saved your life, but now I want you out of here."_

" _Bu- But… This is my home…" Emma stuttered_

_David turned fully towards Emma, his fists were clenched into fists at his sides, before Emma knew it she was stood facing him._

" _No. It's not, not anymore, get out Emma."_

" _I… I want to stay… Dad." She pleaded._

" _Get lost Emma!" He thundered. "I'm warning you. Get lost now. And never come back."_

_Emma stepped forward, she held her arm out to try and catch hold of his arm, suddenly David's hands were on her shoulders; he pushed her over, she lost her balance, and fell face first into the mud._

" _Emma!"_

_She kept her face down in the dirt, even as the angry voice called her, she didn't want to look up again… she didn't want to see her father's face again._

" _Emma!"_

_Salty tears ran down her cheeks. She wanted her Dad. She wanted her mom. She just… she wanted her family. She could feel the pull of needing them deep within her soul, she felt completely empty, she felt nothing other than complete desperation._

" _Emma!"_

_She realised that the voice wasn't, in fact, angry; it was imploring and commanding. And not even trying to disguise itself as her fathers._

" _Mom." She realised._

*OUAT*

"Mom." She breathed as her eyes shot open.

Mary Margret placed her hands on Emma's arms, she watched as Emma searched around the room, looking lost until she met her eyes. "It's okay, Em." She told her calmly. "It's okay, I'm here."

Emma's breath caught. Her mom. Of course, she told herself, of course it was only a dream. Even so she wrapped her arms around her mother's neck, she pulled her close, and buried her head in her mother's neck. She breathed in her mother scent; the usual smell of her berry scented shower gel, her light floral perfume, and a hint of David's aftershave which she had obviously gained by the two sharing a bed… And something else, the slight smell of the enchanted forest, a distinctive scent which always made her feel at home it was the same one she had on her blanket growing up.

Mary Margret's eyes shot open in surprise and worry, although she was getting used to Emma being slightly clingy while she was ill, but there was something different about this one. She smoothed down Emma's hair, and stroked Emma's back, but she could feel Emma's heavy breathing and the rattling underneath her hands. "Emma, sweetheart," she pulled slightly back from her daughter, "I'm sorry but you need to take your inhaler."

While Emma sleepily took breathed through the spacer, Mary Margret brushed her hand down Emma's cheek, she frowned and moved the back of her palm to Emma's forehead. She looked around quickly, and spotted what she was looking for, the bag of stuff from the pharmacy which David had left upstairs the night before. She switched on Emma's bedside table lamp, she moved to get the paper bag and brought it back over to the bed, she made sure to stay in the light so Emma could see her at all times. Emma finished taking her dose of asthma and Mary Margret passed her the thermometer from the bag. "Here."

Mary Margret started to get worried, she realised that Emma hadn't spoken a word since she had just woken up. Normally Emma would have protested the thermometer, or at least tried to talk with it in her mouth, but this time she stayed silent and compliant; her eyes were glued to Mary Margret as though she couldn't believe she was there. The thermometer beeped and Emma took it out of her mouth, she wordlessly passed it to Mary Margret, which only worried Mary Margret more. She pursed her lips when she saw the high temperature, Emma needed medicine and a cold compress, as fast as she could.

"I'm going to get you some medicine, okay? I'll be back in a minute." Mary Margret said whilst she was standing up.

Emma quickly leant forward and grabbed hold of her mother's hand. "Please don't go."

Mary Margret hesitated, she debated calling down the monitor for David, but she didn't want Neal to wake up; the last thing David would need the next day would be Neal being cranky as well as Emma being clingy, if how she was acting now was anything to go by. "I'll be back in a second, I promise." She told her honestly. She stood up to quickly walk downstairs when she stood on something: when she had entered the room she had assumed it was a piece of clothing stuck out from under the bed, but now she realised that it was in fact Emma's blanket. She picked it up, she felt the soft wool under her hands, it had only been made softer with age. "Here, you don't want to lose this." She saw a ghost of a smile appear on Emma's lips as she took the blanket. Then she darted down the stairs.

Emma watched around the corner of the wall, waiting impatiently for her mother, she focused her breathing she reminded herself that it had just been a dream. Her mother would want to talk of course, she had clearly spotted that Emma had woken up from a nightmare, not that it had been that hard to miss. Normally if she refused to tell her parents about her dreams twice they'd respect her wishes, even if they thought she was wrong to do so, but now that it might be some guy controlling and manipulating her dreams…. Well, she'd have to come up with another plan, one which would convince her mother. If a memory was enough to convince her father that she was telling the truth, perhaps the same would work on her mother, now all she would have to do was figure out a memory that would satisfy her enough to stop her asking questions but wouldn't be too upsetting. She didn't hear her mother's footsteps so jumped when she rounded the corner. In the half-light, coming from the crack in the curtains, she looked like she did in Emma's dream… But as she strode into the room, with medicine, a drink, and a damp cloth in hand, the light from the lamp hit her face; and illuminating her features: her short black hair, colour in her cheeks, and her green eyes which weren't… well… dead.

"Here's some paracetamol." She pressed the tablets into Emma's hand then passed her the bottle of juice. While Emma took them, Mary Margret grabbed a blue plastic tub from the paper bag, then waited for Emma to finish.

Emma noticed the dark blue tub in her mother's hand and raised her eyebrow.

"Vapour rub." Mary Margret answered Emma's unasked question.

"Great." Emma returned sardonically.

"It'll help you." Mary Margret corrected, but the sarcastic tone reassured, and relaxed, her more than Emma's silence. "Here, turn around and I'll put some on your back, it'll ease your breathing some."

Once Emma had turn back around, after her mother had rubbed the cool gel into her back, she brought the blankets closer to her and her knees up as the cold set into her back. She had to admit that it was nice to have a mother, to have parents, who wanted to look after her while she was ill; who didn't feel as though she was a burden.

Mary Margret placed the bag and its contents back onto Emma's dresser. Then she sat in the empty space in front of Emma. "So, do you want to tell me what your dream was about?"

"It was nothing…it was just a memory."

"You said my name when you woke up, and you've been watching me like a hawk… Am I right in presuming that the dream was about me?" She watched Emma think, presumably she was debating whether or not to tell her. "You don't have to protect me, Emma, I'm you mother; it's your father and my job to protect you," she took hold of her daughter's hand, "no matter what."

"Yes." Emma said quietly. "I was about you."

"Go on." She coaxed.

"I… it was when you were in the Enchanted forest, when I went back in time." Emma said decidedly.

Mary Margret took hold of Emma's hand; she had a feeling what Emma was going to say next.

"An- And Regina got you, and you were about to die… but this time you didn't turn yourself into a bug." A couple of tears started to roll down Emma's cheeks, both from thinking about her real dream, and remembering the time she thought her mother had died… her father hadn't comforted her then either, though at least in that circumstance he didn't know who she was. "And, you were just gone, and dad didn't know who I was, and I wanted my mom."

Mary Margret could hear Emma about to get hysterical, she quickly brought her into her arms and held tight. She automatically tried to sooth her and tell her it was okay, but she felt the guilt set in her stomach. After a few minutes Emma pulled back, her cheeks were slightly red, Mary Margret wasn't sure if that was from crying or from embarrassment at her crying; perhaps a combination of the two. "I'm so sorry you ever had to see that… If I had known you were there I would have never done it, I'm so, so, sorry." Mary Margret apologised.

Now it was Emma's turn to feel guilty, she hadn't meant to make her mom feel bad, but there was just part of her that didn't want to tell her, or her father, about her real dreams; she didn't want them to think her capable of hurting them… of being responsible for their deaths… Maybe she was being selfish, but she didn't want them to fear her. In fact, after her dream she wasn't too happy with them going out and searching for George without her, but there wasn't much she could do to stop them without tipping them off that something was up with her. She just wished there was a way that she, and she alone, could stop the guy; without anyone else there to possibly get hurt. So she just nodded and accepted another hug from her mother.

Mary Margret felt Emma leaning on heavier and knew that her daughter was about to fall asleep. She gently helped Emma lean back against the pillows, then she set about tucking her daughter in, only three decades too late, despite Emma's temperature Mary Margret had felt Emma shivering; she couldn't stop herself from placing her hand on Emma's forehead once more, even though she knew the medicine hadn't had enough time to set in.

Emma's eye's flickered back open, though she couldn't keep them open for long. "Don't go." she begged once again in a childlike voice.

"Okay, baby, I'll be here with you all night." Mary Margret couldn't help but oblige. "I'm not leaving you ever again, I promise."  
It was too cold for her to lay just on top of the bed, so she quickly placed another blankets over Emma's side of the bed then climbed beneath the covers herself. Emma must have been half asleep because as soon as her mother settled next to her, Emma moved as close to her as possible, she sighed contently as Mary Margret placed an arm around her; Emma placed her head, slightly hesitantly, onto her mom's shoulder, when Mary Margret didn't shake her off, Emma relaxed enough to fall asleep.

"Good night, Emma." Mary Margret whispered into Emma's hair, she pressed a light kiss to the top of Emma's head, she rubbed her hand up and down Emma's arm and felt Emma snuggle even closer in response. Slowly she closed her own eyes and let her daughter's breathing play the lullaby for her to drift off to sleep to.

*OUAT*

David didn't open his eyes even as the alarm blared, he threw his arm out from under the covers into the cold air and quickly turned the alarm off, he hoped he'd be able to persuade Mary Margret to spend a few more minutes in bed before they had to get the day started; but when he turned over and placed his arm out to wrap around his wife, his hand fell to the empty side of the bed, the sheet was cold beneath it: His eye snapped open.

He clambered out of the bed, he didn't even feel the chill in the air as he sped past Neal's crib, he made sure that Neal was still sleeping peacefully; then he flew out of their bedroom to the main room; he expected to see Mary Margret drinking a cup of tea and to laugh at his theatrics, but the room was empty and still dark. When he knocked on the bathroom door and received no answer, he forced himself not to run out of the loft to search the entire town for his true love, he hadn't heard Mary Margret go up the stairs but he decided to look anyway.

He let out a breath he didn't know he was holding, when he rounded the corner and saw Mary Margret's alarmed face staring back at him, he smiled sheepishly obviously he had woken her up by charging up the stairs. He walked closer to the bed, he had made sure that his footsteps were much quieter this time, he found his eyes drawn to Emma, who was curled up to Mary Margret. He eventually tore his eyes away from his daughter, and looked to his wife, who was staring at him with love in her eyes.

Emma, who was oblivious to her parents loving expressions both for each other and for her, coughed in her sleep, her eyebrows wrinkled and for a second it seemed like she was going to wake up; David quickly stroked her cheek and instead of stirring she burrowed closed to her mother.

"I'm sorry I woke you," David whispered, "I woke up and you weren't there, so I worried."

"You didn't wake me, I've been up for a while, I just didn't have the heart to move her." She admitted in an equally quiet tone. "I thought you were rushing upstairs because something was wrong."

David gave her a soft kiss, not as long as one they would usually share, for fear of their daughter waking up with her face a few inches away from it. David brushed his hand down Emma's cheek again, she was a little hot, but she was due some medicine when she woke up, so he wasn't excessively worried. "Did she have another coughing fit? I didn't hear her."

"No, she was just wheezing, by the time I got up here she was having a nightmare, though." Mary Margret stroked Emma's hair. "About when she went back in time, my death."

David sighed. "We're going to catch this bastard."

"And in the meantime, Regina can try to teach Emma to control her dreams, to try block them out."

"When I dropped Henry off, she told me there's not much really to teach, it's mainly perseverance on Emma's end." David said slightly worried, he had faith in Emma of course, but he was scared at how severely the dreams were affecting Emma.

"If anyone can do it, it would be Emma." Although her words were confident, her voice matched David's, in regards to the level of worry. "I should get up; I'm meeting Ruby at the diner at half eight."

"Want a hand?" his lips quirked up in amusement, he doubted very much Emma wanted to let her mom go.

*OUAT*

David placed his piece of toast down as he chewed the bit that was already in his mouth. The only noise in the loft was the quiet music from the radio, both Emma and Neil were still asleep, the last time David and Mary Margret were able to have a breakfast with just the two of them was before Neil was born while Emma was staying with Henry at the inn. But when he looked up, Mary Margret was staring into her oatmeal, absentmindedly stirring it round; there was a crease between her eyebrows as she was thinking which David thought was cute. "What're you thinking about?"

Mary Margret started at his voice, she blushed slightly as though she hadn't expected him to catch her lost in her head. "I'm thinking," she said slowly she was scared that if she were to voice her thoughts they'd come true, "that there's a reason George is sending Emma these dreams; what if he wants us to think he's after Emma, but really…"

"Really he's after Neal…" David breathed out his tone was soaked with realisation "He's just trying to distract us."

"It would be easier to take a toddler," Mary Margret's lip curled in disgust, "after all, Emma would be nearly impossible to control, even if she was ill."

"That would make sense…" David's said with a face like thunder, he hated having to guess what plans George could be making in regards to their children, but this would be their only way they would be able to stop him. "What if he's after Emma's magic?"

"But if the man with the scarred face is working with him, he'd already know that Emma has the cuff on her." Mary Margret interrupted confused.

"Exactly, but we know that Emma gets her magic from her being a child of true love, maybe he's betting that Neil would be too." David suggested.

They looked at each other; they both had steel in their features, they didn't have to say anything to know that they wouldn't let anyone touch their children, especially not George, if they thought they were going to let him take their son, he was gravely mistaken.

Mary Margret broke eye contact first and rubbed her hand over her face. "It'd be nice if, for once, people weren't after our kids."

David sighed empathically and took hold of his wife's hand across the table. "Hey, we'll protect them, we always do." He forced a smile but couldn't help but think of all the times they had failed to protect them, or they had tried and yet there was no good outcome: Zelena taking Neal after his birth, and Emma being sent through to this world only to have to have a crappy childhood, one which she was only slowly speaking to them about.

They sat eating in silence, both lost in their thoughts, only when Mary Margret had place her spoon into her empty dish and David brushed hi crumbs off of his lap, did either one of them speak.

"I don't think we should let George find out that we know he's after Neal." Mary Margret hated the idea that George would even have the chance to get to Neal but she knew that if they didn't have an advantage it'd be nigh impossible to get George and get him out of their lives for good.

David rubbed the back of his neck as he thought. "You could take him to the mommy and baby class as usual, Ruby could always go with you," he suggested, he could see what Mary Margret was thinking, as long their kids were kept safe this would be the best way to keep George believing that they weren't onto him, "that way you'll have help if something goes wrong. And it won't be unusual for Emma to be here as she's ill and for one of us to be with her."

They smiled over at each other, the kitchen table of a loft in Storybrooke, Maine, was vastly different to the huge planning rooms of their castle or even the hand painted maps of their tent, but they still worked as though they were of one brain to formulate plans no matter what world they were in; and they did it spectacularly, it really was no wonder that they managed to take back their kingdom so well.

As if Neal had heard his parents talking about him, his parents could hear him 'talking' to his teddies in his crib. David stood up to go get him, while Mary Margret placed the dishes by the sink, ready to be washed up. Before David could even make it out of the kitchen his cell started to ring, Mary Margret knew that any calls from the police station would be forwarded to it, she placed he hand on David's arm and told him she would get Neal.

"Good morning, my little prince." Mary Margret lifted her son out of his crib and brought him closer to her, she pressed a kiss into his dark hair. "Daddy's going to be looking after you and Emmy today so you're going to have to be a good boy and help him out. I'm sure your big sister will be a pain enough for him, but maybe you can help him, I'm sure she'd listen to you if you told her." She rambled as she walked back through to the kitchen with him in her arms. She set about making him a bottle of milk, she swayed to the music with her son, when she twirled around she saw a very amused David staring at her.

"Who was on the phone." She asked and his mood immediately sobered.

"One of the bar staff from The Rabbit Hole, apparently someone broke in and trashed the place last night, it could just be a routine crime or…"

"It could be George." Mary Margret finished. "Though, what does he want with a bar?"

"Beats me. I could ask one of the dwarfs to go check it out." he offered.

"Bartenders tend to hear things, he may have heard something about George, even if this was just an ordinary crime. Anyway even if this wasn't George, it'll give me time to think about what he is up to."

David nodded, he hesitated before speaking again. "You know; I could take the shift at the station instead…"

Mary Margret rolled her eyes.

"I'm not being overprotective." David defended. "I just…" he spread his arms out unsure how to describe how he was feeling.

Mary Margret closed the gap between them, she placed her hand on his chest, she could feel his heart beating beneath it, in spite of all the times it had almost stopped. Neal perked his head up from where it was resting on her own chest, he twisted awkwardly towards his father, who accepted him into his arms. "You want to be able to do _something_ ," she stressed, "a physical action instead of just thinking and planning."

David smiled as he put his chin to his chest, of course his wife knew what he was feeling, he had no doubt she was feeling the same way. "But then when I am doing that, I can't but help miss the kids like crazy, and I miss you of course." He looked into her eyes with his trademark smile on his face.

She shook her head at his natural reflex to charm her. She grabbed hold of his pyjama t-shirt and pulled him down slightly to her level, her lips took possession of his; but as he tried to deepen the kiss Mary Margret pulled away teasingly. "I have to go to work." She smirked.

David managed to peck her on the lips once more before she stepped back and gathered her things ready to go. He watched her glance between the clock and the stairs as she put her coat on. Once she had the coat on she kept staring at the staircase, she didn't seem to notice that she was ready to go. Before David had a chance to say anything Mary Margret spoke.

"Do you think she's okay? I thought she'd be up by now… She was running a bit of a temperature last night, but she seemed fine this morning, what if it got worse?" she shot her questions at David relentlessly, anxiety filled her voice.

David walked back over to her and placed the hand which wasn't holding Neal on her shoulder, he could feel her relax slightly under his hand. "Mary Margret, it's still early, she' exhausted from the medicine, her body fighting off the illness, and waking up because of nightmares; but she's okay."

Mary Margret nodded, she knew that she had been overreacting, but the guilt she felt for leaving Emma while she might need her overrode her logical thinking. "What if she thinks I left her again, like in her dream."

David pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Emma knows that you're out trying to catch the people who want to hurt our family.

"If you need me for anything just ring."

"You too," David said as he walked her out of the door and to the stairs, "I mean it."

"I know you do." She gave him a quick kiss before she gave Neal a kiss. "Bye Neal, you be a good boy for Daddy, okay."

David smiled as he watched Mary Margret walk down the stairs, with Neal shouting "Bye" and waving his hand frantically. Once he heard the door on the ground floor slam shut he walked back into the loft and shut the door.

"Okay Neal, how about we get you fed, then you can have a bath."

Neal perked up at the word 'bath'. "Splash!" he shouted excitedly.

"Yup, Neal, splash." David chuckled, he knew how much his son enjoyed his baths, even if he managed to soak half of the bathroom floor while he was having them, it was worth it to see his son smile.

*OUAT*

It was now almost half nine, David had already checked on Emma once he fed Neal, but now Neal had been bathed and David and he had been playing with the cars and blocks, yet Emma still wasn't up; or at least she wasn't downstairs. David had placed the monitor in the living room so he could hear if Emma needed him while he and Neal were spending some quality time together, yet he hadn't heard a sound through it: not even her wheezing. David frowned at the monitor, then turned to his son, who was now doing a magnificent impression of Godzilla using his building blocks.

"Let's go find Emmy, buddy."

Neal's face lit up at the mention of his big sister, he ran as fast as he could to his father and lifted his arms in the air. David swooped him up into his arms in one swift motion and then led the way up the stairs.

As soon as they reached Henry's bed, Neal wiggled until David placed him down on the floor, they rounded the corner at the same time; David was shocked at the sight which met him.

Emma was sat on her bed with the bag which had accompanied her to the hospital, Emma was haphazardly throwing its contents around the room. A jumped was lounging on Emma's lamp, while a pair had been divorced one to the top of the dresser the other to the far side of the room. Emma hadn't noticed her father and brother walking in, until Neal ran up to her; she froze with her hand in the air about to throw another jumper across the room, she looked at her father with an expression which could only be described as 'deer stuck in headlights'. David looked at her in concern, however Neal was delighted by his sister's new game and ran over to the bag to help her redecorate her room.

"Teenage rebellion?" David joked dryly when he realised that Emma still hadn't moved or spoke.

"I'm just… unpacking." Emma said, she had lost the deer-in-headlights-look but her arm was still frozen in the air.

"Unpacking, hmm," David said unconvinced, "well, I'm pretty sure you could give Neal's destroyed block city downstairs a run for its money.

"I'm just unpacking," Emma repeated, "please don't turn this into a lesson."

"Too late." David flopped down next to her, he raised his eyebrow at her until finally lowered her arm, she went to drop the jumper back into the general direction of the bag, but instead her brother took it and threw it as far as he could.

"When I was younger-"

"-About a hundred years ago?" Emma interrupted with a half-hearted attempt at humour.

David rolled his eyes but smiled nevertheless. "Yes, about a hundred years ago. When I moved into George's castle I took a small bag with me. Obviously I didn't have very many clothes or belongings but the ones I did have I kept in the bag. During my entire time I was there I never unpacked the bag. I'd wear the clothes, then as soon as they were washed and put into the wardrobe, I'd re-pack them in the bag. I wasn't sure why I did it, in fact, I'm sure I didn't even realised I did it. When your mother and I moved in together, she was always telling me off for leaving all my clothes everywhere, eventually I talked to her extensively about my time in George's castle: how I never felt safe there as he threatened my mother's life as though it was nothing."

"So the lesson is; ignore my mother when she tells me off for leaving everything lying around all the time?" Emma asked, purposefully ignorant.

"The lesson is you have people you can talk to when you feel slightly… insecure," he told her as delicately as he could, "a whole family of us, in fact I'm sure if you talked to Neal he would try to make you feel better."

Emma had her face down to try hide her emotions, but she let out a slightly choked laugh.

"I'm sure the dreams you've been having aren't helping much," he said sympathetically. "But I'm here if you want to talk about it, you know that, right?"

Emma nodded and the two sat in silence for a little while, they both watched as Neal got bored of throwing the clothes about and instead started trying to put the socks on his hands. "…. It reminds me of seeing my packed bags every time I was moved," Emma revealed quietly, "eventually I didn't bother unpacking at all."

David nodded in understanding. "Well that's not going to happen here." He bumped his shoulder against hers. "Seriously, your mother and I aren't letting you move out for at least another twenty years."

Emma laughed and shook her head, she was sure that what David was saying wasn't too far from the truth of what her parents wanted. She leant her head against her father and took in her now extremely messy room.

"I'll gather up your clothes and I'll put them in the wash." David stood up and started to collect the clothes from around the room. "Then you need something to eat and to take your medicine."

Emma directed her attention to Neal, who had found a pen under Emma's bed, and was now attempting to draw on everything in his immediate vicinity. "I'll take that thanks squirt." She quickly took the pen and placed it on top of her dresser. While she was there she moved the sock, what was beneath it took her by surprise, she was sure she was normally more alert to her surroundings; how had she missed this being in her room?  
"Erm, you know I'm not five, right?" Emma asked cockily, though the fact he was collecting clothes she had thrown around the bedroom, was not helping her case.

David turned around and noticed Emma staring at the monitor Mary Margret had so carefully hidden. He shot her a sheepish look before explaining. "Your mom put it up here so we could hear if you were having trouble breathing during the night."

Emma heard the tone in his voice which meant it wasn't just Mary Margret's idea, and that they probably wouldn't be backing down. Normally she would completely protest it being there, but she had to admit, it was nice having people wake her up from her nightmares.

David placed the clothes into Emma's bag then motioned for her to pass him the monitor "I think it might need charging." He placed it inside of the bag before looping the strap over his shoulder, he picked Neal up in his other arm and started to walk back towards the steps, clearly expecting Emma to follow him. "C'mon Em." David called when he didn't hear her footsteps.

Emma groaned and reluctantly followed her father down the stairs.


	16. Chapter 16

Mary Margret watched her breath curl out in front of her as she walked to Granny's, she remembered walking around her garden as a girl, as soon the breath would turn to clouds, winter had begun. She remembered the fierce winters which had occurred during her childhood, though she couldn't remember the severest one, the one she was born during: She remembered the cold biting, unyielding to the fires which constantly burned in the castles, she remembered people in the kingdom dying no matter how much was done to try and prevent it, ships didn't go out on trade and the land was too frozen to farm; they had had to make sure to stock up long before winter if they ever wanted to survive. But she also remembered people coming together as a community to make sure that the most vulnerable people had their best chance, the winter stalls, the Yuletide celebrations, feasts thrown for the whole kingdom by her parents, the frozen lakes which were perfect for ice skating, and the Christmas markets which sprung up next to them selling all manner of things; one of which was the first place Mary Margret had tasted hot chocolate and cinnamon which she loved so much her father had to buy a crate for the castle as soon as the ports were open again so that he could have it shipped there.

"Dragon's breath." Ruby's voice made Mary Margret jump, but she didn't notice that she had started her friend, she was too busy to staring at the small cloud emerging from her own mouth. She soon looked back at her friend and wrapped her in a hug. "How's Emma? She looked terrible when I saw her in the hospital."

Mary Margret smiled at her friend's worried tone, they had text each other over the past couple of days to talk about both George and life in general, each time they had spoken Ruby had asked how Emma was, and Mary Margret had reassured her that she was okay. "She's doing the same," she told her, "she was asleep when I left, and she had another one of those dreams last night."

Ruby frowned, the worry in her voice was reflected in her face, she could see that her friend was regretting having to leave her child. "hey, she'll be okay, David's looking after her."

"I know." Mary Margret gave a small smile but she was aware her tone sounded the same.

"Oh, I almost forgot." she threw something at Mary Margret.

It was only Mary Margret's quick reflexes which stopped her from being hit in the face, she pulled away the woollen garments and was able to see that she was holding a pair of gloves and a hat in her hands, she quirked and eyebrow at Ruby.

"Granny said to give them to you," Ruby shrugged, "she said that you might have forgotten them this morning, 'in the rush to get ready while worrying about Emma'". She quoted.

"How about you?" Mary Margret asked while she pulled them on.

"I don't need them," Ruby had a glint in her eye when she answered, "werewolf privilege." She smirked.

*OUAT*

The phone rang while Ruby was staring at the map David had left on the desk, she had been helping out on the hunt for George, but she didn't know how much ground of Storybrooke they had left to cover; now she knew it was truly daunting. The phone started to ring and she picked it up automatically, her eyes didn't leave the map. "Storybrooke Sheriff's station, Ruby speaking."

"There's a what!?"

Mary Margret came out of the sheriff's office with her bow in her hand and her quiver around her body, she leaned against the door to watch Ruby talking on the phone.

"Do I even want to know why you have a cage…. Ah! Yeah, I guess that makes sense. Okay, we'll swing around now, see you soon Belle."

"What's wrong?"

"Someone broke into the library, apparently he was trying to look at the books full of enchantments."

"Then, why's he in a cage?"

"Gold." She answered simply. "Despite all of his indefensible traits, he does seem to care about Belle, even with him gone from town he still protected her."

"We should probably go see why there's someone trying to read about magic." She plucked the keys out of her pocket and shook them at Ruby. "But if this has something to do with George you owe me $5."

"I'll take that bet." Ruby tried to swipe the keys out of her hand, but Mary Margret was too fast for her.

*OUAT*

"Wow that is so… "

"Gold?" Belle offered.  
"Egotistical?" Ruby said at the same time.

"Yes." Mary Margret said, though it wasn't clear which one she was siding with. She was too busy staring at the giant gold cage which held a skinny man. Although the man wasn't stood up, she could tell he wasn't much taller than herself, his red hair was messy as though he had run his hand through it, when he turned to look at her his eyes were wide with fear. "Do you work for George?" she asked him bluntly.

"I…. Yes." He replied feebly, he pulled himself to his feet using the bars of the cage. "but it's not what you think, we just want to go home."

His voice was so desperate, and pathetic, that Mary Margret almost felt sorry for him; but apparently Ruby wasn't feeling as sympathetic.

"Well, the only place you're going is to is a cell." She glanced back at Belle and looked slightly embarrassed. "Once, er, we figure out how to get you out of here…"

"There's a button." Belle told her as she hid a chuckle, she headed towards the bookcase and laid her finger on the concealed button.

"If you run, I turn into a wolf, and I eat you." Ruby threatened the terrified man, she flashed her teeth at him until he nodded, she sent a nod to Belle who pushed the button to pull the cage back through the ceiling.

Once Mary Margret had placed the handcuffs on the man, so tightly that he winced, she turned her back to him and spoke quietly to Belle. "There isn't books in here about going back to the Enchanted Forest…. Are there?" she was sure that there weren't but she had to be on the safe side.

"No." Belle shook her head adamantly. "Mary Margret," she called to the other woman as she started back towards Ruby, "I hope Emma feels better soon, if you need any help…"

Mary Margret gave her a genuine smile, "Thank you, Belle." She shook her head once more at the ceiling where the cage had now vanished, then walked back over to Ruby and the man.

"What's your name?" Mary Margret asked as she led her group back to the squad car, she had noticed the man limping as they walked, she had to admit… he didn't seem like the usual sort that George would have in his company, but with her family in danger, she couldn't be too cautious.

"Richard… Richard Appleby." He told her meekly.

"The accountant?" Ruby interrupted before Mary Margret could ask any more questions. "Granny." She said by way of explanation to her friend, who seemed surprised that she would be familiar with him.

"What? Did George need some help on his taxes?" Richard just shrugged defeatedly. "What was your name before you came here?"

"It was still Richard," he kept the same timid manner, "I go by my cursed name now."

For someone who apparently just wanted to go home, he seemed to be clinging desperately to his cursed name.

"Did you hurt your leg while in the library? We can have a doctor look at it."

"No, I was born with it, now and again it plays up."

"Well, I'd like to have Doctor Whale look at it regardless." Mary Margret said kindly.

The man looked taken back at the act of kindness, but said nothing as he got into the car.

*OUAT*

David's heart went out to all the parents who had more than one child: Neal loved having him home all day, and been attached to his hip, he had constantly wanted to play with his father or be read to, this however had made it nigh impossible to settle him down for a nap at midmorning; Emma, on the other hand, seemed to be both as clingy as Neal was and trying to push him away at the same time; when David got a text off his wife telling him she'd arrested a man trapped in a gold cage Emma had started towards the door in an attempt to go to work; David told her in no uncertain terms to sit back down as she wasn't going anywhere. He finally convinced her to stop giving him the cold shoulder by promising her that they'd work on some of the files he brought home while Neal was napping.

He wasn't sure which was more stressful; worrying about his family while at work, or worrying about them while he was at home.

Emma ran her fingers through her hair as she tossed another file in front of her father, restlessness ran through her veins, but she was stuck; relegated to the kitchen table to sort through files, some of which her father had already put in a pile of people designated as 'suspicious'. "Okay, how about him?"

David picked up the file and flicked it open, he almost simultaneously closed it, he shook his head once as he placed it on the startlingly small 'safe' pile. "No, Nicholas worked with us for years, he started in the stables and slowly made his way up to being a knight."

"That might have been a rouse."

"And you might have watched one too many episodes of Criminal Minds." David raised one of his eyebrows until Emma slid defeatedly in her chair, he sighed internally at himself he shouldn't have been so dismissive of her, it was just he'd rather keep her completely away from all of the King George thing; he forced himself to put on a more encouraging voice. "He's a good man, Em, that's a _good_ thing; we might need people like him if the worst comes to worse."

Emma nodded but didn't ask what the worst meant, her mind started to replay the memory of her dream in her mind against her wishes; _that_ , that was the worst, she decided. She grabbed the pile of the suspected, as she did a green sticky note fell out of the top file, she almost didn't read what the note said until she caught sight of the writing; Graham's writing. The sight of it made her freeze, Graham's handwriting was normally pretty illegible, but this note was even more erratic, it was simply one word, a name which was different than the one in the file, 'Kyle." Graham had clearly been remembering the man's cursed name, perhaps they had met once or twice, she was about to ask her father about what he knew of the man when her cell rang.

She quickly pulled it out of her pocket and was surprised to see her mother's name and picture appear on the screen, she quickly glanced at her father, but he didn't even glance up from the file he was reading; Emma shook her head at his laughable attempt of pretending he didn't know who was ringing her and probably what it was about, in fact it wouldn't surprise her if he had orchestrated it. Even so she slid her finger to the green phone sign to answer it.

"Mom?" she tried to keep her anxious emotions out of her voice, but judging from her father's look of concern at her, she had failed. "Are you okay?"

" _Yeah, I'm fine sweetie, did your father tell you about the man we caught this morning?"_

Emma nodded but then remembered Mary Margret wouldn't be able to see her. "Yeah, do you need any back up?"

" _I need you to find out about this man 'Richard Appleby', he's the guy we caught but I'm just not sure what it is about him… he doesn't really seem like the henchmen type."_

"Okay." Emma replied quietly, she knew that really the conversation should be over, but hearing her mother's voice made her realise that she had been missing her, so she stayed on the line. "What're you doing?" she asked when she heard the unmistakeable sound of wind through the phone.

" _Ruby and I are following up on a possible lead at the Rabbit Hole, so I may have another name for you to check on soon, please stick at this finding people is what you do best."_

Mary Margret's voice seemed desperate to keep her daughter's attention on researching people, obviously David had told her about Emma pathetic attempt to escape from the loft that morning. So Emma promised that she would continue to do so.

" _Okay Emma, I have to go, please be good for your father he's only trying to look out for you. I love you."_

"Love you too," Emma said reflexively, "I'll try."

"Seriously, you need your wife to ring your daughter to get her to do as she's told?" She asked her father good naturedly, she shook her head bemused that her mother told her to 'be good' while she was at work, after all, Emma _was_ thirty years old.

David cracked a smile at Emma and replied honestly "Yes". He looked down at the file Emma was opening. "Huh, I think I know this guy…"

*OUAT*

Mary Margret hadn't been inside of The Rabbit Hole since before the first curse had broken, perhaps her memories had distorted how she perceived the place, or perhaps the bar was simply lighter during the day; if it weren't for the upturned tables and smashed bottles on the floor she might have considered it a nice place to go on a date with David.

The process of questioning the owner and barmen was tedious, none seemed to have any answers to their questions, Mary Margret figured the break in occurred shortly after the bar had closed as the neighbouring building's inhabitants heard nothing. Mary Margret tried to subtly work out if the staff had heard anything about George and his inhabitants, but she was careful to make sure they didn't know why she was asking, she didn't want any of them to let slip that she and her friends were looking for the man. All that was left was to collect details on the break-in and how much money was stolen from the till, she had asked for the security tapes but apparently they hadn't worked that night. As the only detailed everything she needed to know she felt Ruby tense next to her. Her eyes travelled imperceptively to her friend who was being motioned over by a barmaid. Ruby didn't bother to tell Mary Margret where she was going, but by the time Mary Margret had finished, she was waiting just outside the front door; her cheeks were tinged pink.

Ruby quickly swiped the keys out of Mary Margret's hand as she thought to control the smile on her face. "You drive like a grandma."

"I _am_ a grandma." She reminded her but didn't take the keys back, she allowed Ruby to lead the way to the car and waited until they were trapped inside the car to talk again. "So, who did you talk to?" she tried to hide the knowing smile from her face by looking out of the window.

Ruby shook her head and shrugged her shoulders, she was suddenly very focused on the road. "I… just one of the barmaids, Skye, " she bit her lip, "she had some information about who she thought did the bar break in; one of the men who works at the bar, he is always talking to some of the shadier people who work there. He also has keys to the place, so that could be how he got in, right?"

"And she just told you this?" Mary Margret raised an eyebrow. "Can we trust her?"

"I've known her for a while; I trust her." Ruby admitted quietly, almost nervously. "Trust me."

"Okay," Mary Margret responded instantaneously, "one day you'll have to tell me about her." She watched her friend's mouth fall open in shock. "Rubes, I know you better than you think. Now, you want to give me that name? I'll text Emma, it'll give her something to work on."

Ruby recovered slightly from her flabbergasted state, how did Mary Margret know, when she wasn't too sure yet herself? "Zachary Leavesden, but he goes by his Enchanted Forest name, Kyle, apparently he doesn't respond well to being called his cursed name."

Mary Margret fired a text off to Emma to let her know the name and asked her to send over a picture of the guys file. "Why don't we go and grab some food from Granny's, we can take it back to mi-"Mary Margret started to suggest, but she was interrupted by her cell ringing, she looked down expecting it to be Emma, but her expression turned serious when she realised that the call had been transferred from the station. "Sheriff's office, Mary Margret speaking, how can I help?"

Ruby pulled over to the side of the road as she waited for Mary Margret to finish her phone call, she reached for her own phone and pulled it out to see she had a few texts, she quickly fired off a text in reply to Skye and made a mental note to reply to the others later.

"Can you drive to Peter Peter's? Someone broke in a wrecked the place last night."

"So this is George, right, he's trying to do something, but why these two places?"

"He could be trying to distract us, or he needed things from the two places…"

"What: money, alcohol, and food?" Ruby asked doubtfully.

"You know what basically runs on them, right?" She tried to keep her voice calm, her phone buzzed in her hand telling her that Emma had sent the files over, she ignored it and face Ruby. "Armies."

"You think he's building an army?" Ruby kept her eyes on the road, but her fingernails dug into the steering wheel, she sped up slightly as she headed towards the outskirts of town.

"Well… if he really is trying to find a way back home, he'll want to rule it, we're not sure who's running the kingdoms since we came back here."

"But then why is he targeting you guys? Couldn't he just he leave you guys alone? Hell! Wouldn't it be better to leave you alone, so you're not after him?"

"David and I took it off him before, perhaps he's worried we'll take it back from him again." Mary Margret sighed as they pulled up to the grocers. "But if he thinks he can target my family, my children, he's got another thing coming."

*OUAT*

Regina's eyes rolled at the mess around the loft as she stepped through the doorway, the floor of the loft was strewn with toys and bricks, a plastic bucket stood near some from where David had clearly been tidying up before she had arrived. David sucked his breath in from next to her, ready to fire a quick response back at her, as he expected her to make a snotty remark concerning the current state of the home. "Henry was the same when he was Neal's age, he constantly had his toys everywhere." she smirked when she saw David's face turn confused.

He shook his head and led the way to the to the kitchen. "Tea, coffee?" he offered, he had heard Emma slowly waking up on the couch when Regina knocked on the door, but he doubted that Emma would be in a cooperative mood to work with Regina as soon as she woke up; and he certainly didn't want to be stuck in the middle of that.

"Coffee." She said, from her place on the island stool, as though there was absolutely no competition. "The _'Charmings'_ have split up…." She said, she slowly turned her head to look around the loft, indicating the lack of Mary Margret in there. "Is there finally trouble in paradise?"

"It's call working together, Regina, you may want to try it one day." He sneered but handed her a mug. "Mary Margret's working at the station while I look after the kids."

"I'm sure Ms Swan would be overjoyed to hear you refer to her as that." Regina hummed taking a long sip of her coffee.

"I'll remind you of that when Henry turns thirty." David said with a faint smile, his smile broadened when Regina looked horrified at the very thought. "Are you okay?" his voice was full of concern when he noticed the start of purple rings under Regina's eyes. "You're not… having dreams like Em is, are you?" he pointed to under his own eyes.

Shock, confusion, and a slight fondness, fought to control Regina's face, in the end a scowl worked its way to victory. "I'm pretty sure you're not meant to comment on a lady's appearance." She sighed when David's expression didn't budge. "I stayed up last night trying to figure out how this…"

"Robert?"

"Robert, is managing to control dreams. It's a weirder type of magic than I've ever seen, it doesn't seem to be magic on the outside, but on the inside… Plus Henry's insisting that he wants to help."

David shot her a sympathetic smile. "I know _that_ feeling."

The two drank their coffee's in comfortable silence, they were both lost in their own worry for their overlapping families.

"So," Emma asked by way of hello as she entered the kitchen, "how do we get those dreams stopped?"

*OUAT*

Emma screamed the second that Regina's magic hit her.

David shot to his feet "Regina, stop." He commanded fiercely

"She needs to know how to do this or they'll use her against all of us." Regina insisted, also getting to her toes, but to her credit she did stop.

"You're hurting her, there's got to be another way."

"Oh, I'm sorry, where did you learn magic? Was it before or after sheep shearing class?"

"Dad!" Emma pressed a hand to her chest as she coughed, pain shot like fire in her lungs.

David was by her side in an instant, he rubbed her back until she stopped coughing, then pressed a blue inhaler into her hand, his eyes bored into her until she took it.

Emma finally managed to take some calming breaths. "Dad, I need to know how to do this, I don't want to hurt any of you guys."

"You're not going to." David said with fierce determination.

"I will if I don't learn this." She said so quietly she might have been saying it to herself.

Before David could comfort her, Neil shouted through from where he was napping, on David and Mary Margret's bed. David looked torn between getting Neal and staying with Emma.

"Daddy." Neal called again, it was clear in his voice that he was frustrated, if David didn't get there soon, Neal would attempt to climb down himself.

David shot Regina one last mistrusting and warning look then walked across to his bedroom.

Regina took his place on the couch. "Emma, you need to do this."

"I know, but it's just too… it's too hard." Emma threw herself back against the chair.

Regina rose her eye at the dramatics but didn't comment on it. "You _can_ do this, because you _have_ to. I don't know how powerful his magic is, or how it works, for all I know if he somehow manages to control you through your dreams, that cuff on your wrist could be redundant. You have to build back up those walls, you had in your head, you _can't_ let him in."

"I don't want to shut them back out again; I don't _want_ to build the walls back up."

"Your parents love you to a sickening degree, as soon as you wake up you won't be that same idiot who cut down my apple tree, you won't shut people out again."

Emma raised her eyebrow but didn't apologise for ruining the landscaping. "Okay, let's try again."

"As much as it pains me to say this," Regina's face matched her expression, "your father might, for once in his life, be right. Using my magic on you is a waste of my energy. _You_ have to figure out how to concentrate on building them back up, focus on an object, something you had before you moved here. Like that ridiculous clown car."

"My jacket." Emma muttered.

"Well, whatever, just focus on it before you go to bed, focus on having to build them back up." She stood up slowly, she opened her mouth to say something, but closed it quickly, she tried once more. "You're on your own with this one, but only in your dreams, you have people helping you in this place… And, make no mistake, you are a match for him…." Regina obviously felt she was being too nice to her as she quickly followed up her sentence. "For goodness sake, they're your dreams Ms Swan, act like it."

*OUAT*

"There's not a chance that some kids just did this, is there?" Ruby asked apprehensively.

"This place is a little too out the way for it to just be some mindless act of violence." Mary Margret said as she too slammed her door.

"You couldn't have given me just a little hope?" Ruby laughed.

Mary Margret couldn't help but laugh too. "I'm sure it was just a very angry bunny, that better?"

"Much."

The small fruit and vegetable shop's windows were all smashed, the pumpkins which were stacked outside of it were smashed, normally the overgrown grass outside made it seem rustic; now it simply looked desolate, like an old haunted house. Glass crunched under their feet as they stepped through the open door.

"Hello?" Mary Margret called.

A man suddenly appeared in front of them. He looked frantic as he stepped from behind a trash bag, brush in hand. "Sorry, we're closed." His thinning grey hair was messy and on end, his sleeves rolled up as he tried to sweep up mixtures of defiles vegetables and glass.

"That's why we're here," Ruby explained, "we're working for the sheriff's office, we need to know what happened."

"Curious." He pondered, then he shook his head, as though he was shaking a thought off. "They've completely ruined this week's crop."

"They? Do you know who did this?" Ruby asked as Mary Margret looked around.

"No, no, no. Nope." He shook his head. "But look at this." He gestured around to the ruined shop. "They didn't even take any money." The man sighed deeply as he looked around again.

Mary Margret knew that the man had opened his shop after the first curse broke, she figured that a lot of people had used it to start over, most of them had to balance who they had been in both this world and the Enchanted Forest. Most of the people in the town had survived multiple villains and tragedies, not only that but they had managed to have their own lives in that time, Mary Margret had nothing but respect for that. "We'll send someone out here to help you clean up," she promised, "are you _sure_ that no money was taken?"

"I'm sure. I don't keep any money in the shop, I keep it somewhere secure, somewhere no one will ever guess."

"Is it in a shoebox under you bed?" Mary Margret guessed straight away, Peter spluttered for breath, so she quickly added. "Don't worry I won't tell anyone."

"Thank you." He told her sincerely.

Mary Margret turned her head around again, this time she spotted the CCTV cameras around. "You have CCTV?"

"Oh, oh yes, yes, yes I do." Peter confirmed. "The other two sheriffs told me to get it after I kept getting noise complaints."

"So people have broken in before?"

"Oh, no, no it was me." Peter chuckled." Apparently I have a bad habit of sleep walking, nothing an alarm over my house hasn't fixed, don't you worry."

Mary Margret smiled kindly as him. "Could we see the CCTV film?"

They watched at three men ransacked the store, two filled a holdall each of food, while the last took a baseball bat to the windows, he hit the wooden tabled until carrots tumbled out onto the floor, he swung the bat at the walls causing indents. Mary Margret and Ruby watched the footage twice, and paused it when they saw that the guy, who had caused most of the damage, had shown his face clearly to the camera.

"What did you say this Zachary looks like?" Mary Margret asked, trying to remember the details Ruby had relayed to her from Skye.

"About six foot, not athletic but not skinny, dark blond hair almost brown" Ruby listed off.

Mary Margret unlocked her phone and pulled up the picture Emma sent her, she zoomed in on the mug shot, then held it next to the tv screen. "Kinda like this?"

Ruby barely had to look at the two before nodding. "You got an address for this asshole?"

*OUAT*

David had been sitting on his hands since Regina had left. Mary Margret had quickly text him to tell him that she was going to pick up a suspect; every part of him was screaming at him to go to her, to help her, to make sure she was okay, but he remembered his promise to keep their children safe so settled with text her; he practically begged her to call him as soon as she could.

As Emma had taken her last dose of medicine slightly later, she was forced to have a later lunch, not that that seemed to be bothering her, either her medicine or her illness had practically disintegrated her appetite. Finally, it was late enough for David to make her some food, Emma was distracted looking once again through the case files, while Neal had entertained himself by throwing one of his teddies as far across the room as he could then he chased after it, so at least heating the soup up gave David something to do.

Emma stared at the file in front of her, Zachary Leavesden, he had a rather long rap-sheet mainly drunk and disorderly, and she vaguely remembered arresting him for assault, but the victim had refused to press charges and then another big problem occurred in the town, Emma had been so waylaid by that she hadn't thought about the guy in a long time. He still lived in the same apartment and still worked at the Rabbit Hole; she guessed being cursed to live pretty much the same day over and over for a couple of decades gave pretty good job security. The more she stared at the file the more anxiety filled her, she _knew_ that her mom could take care of anything, plus she wasn't alone, but despite that her stomach was doing backflips. She pushed the file away before she found herself running out of the door, instead she pulled another file closer. The file she grabbed was from the bottom of the pile and caused the others to spill across the island counter, unperturbed she opened the file, ignoring the rest of the files.

The file only had one name, the man's first name, there was no work place or address; the name was in Graham's scrawl, but it seemed very unlike the hunter to have left the rest of the details blank. There was a mug shot held in the file by a paperclip; a scar ran down most of the right side of his face, it had whitened with age. He was looked to be a few years her senior, the photo was blurred slightly so she couldn't make out the numbers but he seemed to be rather tall, and strong… if he was on George's team, Emma was not looking forward to that fight. Emma felt a weird sense of de-ja-vu as she stared at the picture like she had seen him before, perhaps in a dream, but she wasn't sure… perhaps it had been one of the ones at the hospital, she was pretty sure he had something to do with the hospital.

"Who's this?"

David rounded the counter, then leaned over her shoulder to look at the folder in her hand. "Edward. That's all we know about him, no address, no next of kin, no job listed, nothing. Why, do you know him?"

"No…" Emma said, only forty percent sure of herself. "No, I've never seen him before in my life."

David accepted her answer then moved back to the kitchen. "Okay, move those things, kiddo, soups up."

Emma picked up her spoon and slowly poured the soup out of it and back into her dish. "How… If no one's seen this guy, how do we know he's on George's team… side, whatever," She frowned at her own choice of words, "how do we know he's working with George?"

David paused scrubbing the pot and turned back to Emma, he leaned back against the counter, crossed his arms over his chest, and looked concerned at Emma. "Regina picked out people she thought might have something to do with George, mainly criminals and people we already knew were close to him, we hardly know anything about him."

Emma started eating some of her soup to avoid her father's piercing looks. "But then, how do we _know_ he's not on the good side, on our side?" Emma glanced at David in time to see him run his hand over the back of his neck.

He threw the dishtowel over his shoulder and walked slowly towards Emma with his hands on his hips. He turned his thoughts over in his head as he decided whether or not to tell Emma. "Your mom saw him, in the hospital while you were in there… We think he might have been after you."

"Then how come you didn't tell me?" Emma frowned into her soup. "Do you not trust me?"

"Of course we trust you! Hey, look at me." He paused until Emma looked him in the eyes quickly then back down to her soup. " _We trust you_. Your mother and I just want to protect you and Neal, you're our concern, I don't care how old you are… We thought that we would have caught George by now, but we haven't, and we're starting to think that George has more people helping him than we first thought." He waited for Emma to say something but she was silent. "Emma, do you remember when you were scared before the first curse broke, Mary Margret told me that you wanted to just take Henry and leave."

"What's that got to do with anything?" Emma crossed her arms and full on glared at David.

David smiled faintly. "I kind of wish we could all do that now." Emma looked at him confused. "George… he scares me. He almost took my children away from me before I even knew of you, before you even had a chance. I don't want him to do that again. So, you can hate me all you want for not telling you _some_ things, but I'm going to protect you." he brought her into a hug, he smiled when he felt her hands on his back, clearly she wasn't too mad at him.

David's cell started ringing on the kitchen table, he quickly let go of Emma, and he sprinted to get it. "Mary Margret!" he demanded as he walked to his bedroom, Neal had grown bored of his game and was now hot on David's heels. Emma was left by herself, she slowly ate her soup, and waited for David to get back.

David finally joined Emma back in the living room he was carrying Neal on his hip and a determined look was on his face. He grabbed his shoes and sat down with Neal on his Neal.

"Dad. Dad is mom okay? She's okay, right?" Emma quickly joined them at the table.

David looked up as though he hadn't seen her there. "Yeah," he said softly, "yeah, Em, she's fine. I promise. She just wants my help to question someone."

Emma nodded slowly. "Okay, well, do you need any help?"

"No."

Emma looked taken back.

"I need you to stay here, Em, Ruby's coming over but I also need you to watch your brother."

"Great, a babysitter." Emma drawled.

"It's not a babysitter, it's Ruby. Plus, George framed her for murder once, remember? I don't want her to put herself in danger either." David looked around trying to figure out what he needed to do. "Emma, take your tablets, now."

David looked so harassed while putting his jacket on, that for the first time she didn't put up a fight while taking them, not that she would have been able to hide them considering her father was watching the entire time.

"Okay Neal, you're gonna stay with Emmy and auntie Ruby, okay buddy?"

"Daddy." Neal frowned.

"Daddy has to go to work for a little while. I need you to stay here, I need you to look

David looked over at Emma.

Emma rolled her eyes, but then smiled at her little brother. "Can you stay here with me, squirt, I need someone to play knights with me."

Neal looked excited at the thought, so both Emma and David counted it as a win, he wiggled to the ground ready to fetch his toys.

"Hey _, rest_ , okay?" Emma rolled her eyes again, David took hold of Emma's hand, and squeezed it gently. "I'm serious, you're just out of the hospital, you still need to take it easy. You don't have to worry about George, or anyone else, just focus on getting better."

*OUAT*

David ran to his wife in the entrance hall to the main part of the station, he pulled her into a hug, when they finally moved from each other; David laid a hand on Mary Margret's cheek and kiss her tenderly on the lips. "I missed you." he whispered. "And I worried about you."

"I worried about you too, more than you can imagine." She breathed. "How's Neal, is he okay? And Emma, did she take her medicine?

"Mary Margret," he placed his hands on her shoulders, "Mary Margret, calm down. They're both fine, trust me, and Ruby was there when I left. Neal's been really good all day, and Emma's taken all her medicine, Regina came around earlier and she tried to teach Emma how to control her dreams. They'll be okay until we go home."

Mary Margret took a deep breath. "I know, I'm sorry, _of course_ you made sure they were safe."

"It's okay, the overprotective mom thing you have going on is actually rather attractive." He smirked, only half joking.

"Well, I've got to have something to compete with that 'overprotective dad thing' you have going on." She joked back.

David smirked but didn't deny his overprotectiveness, he figured doing so would be futile. "Did you manage to grab some food?"

"Yeah, I grabbed some earlier, when I had to feed out two… guests."

"About that…" David frowned. "I think I know one... _knew_ one…. I didn't think he was like this, I thought he was harmless."

"I'm guessing that one was Mr Appleby?"

"Yeah." David smiled. "Do you want to take him?"

"No, I think you should, if he knows you he might be more willing to speak to you. Plus, I'm pretty sure I have an angle to use on the other one already." She smirked.

"Damn." David whistled. "This cop thing is pretty hot on you too."

*OUAT*

"So, Kyle," Mary Margret started in the interview room, "or is it Zachary?"

Kyle tensed at the name. "It's Kyle. Zachary was my cursed name."

"Well," Mary Margret flicked through the file in front of her, "we _do_ live here because of a curse, perhaps it's more fitting to go by that name."

Kyle clenched his fists. "Some of us remember our real selves." He barely contained his anger. "You think that these lies you've built here will matter much longer?"

"Hmm, right of course," Mary Margret mocked understanding, "because you have a big part in George's plan?" Kyle paled slightly but she kept going. "You realise he sees you as expendable?"

"No, he doesn't I'm important in his plans. Why do you think I got given such an important job? Not that you _fake rulers_ would know anything about that."

"The jobs which led us straight to you? You, very stupidly let us see your face at Peter Peter's, and you have keys to the Rabbit Hole. Don't you see, he doesn't care about you, he knew that you would get caught."

"This is part of his plan!"

"Ah yes, the plan to lead his devoted servants back to the Enchanted forest. No one over there will follow you. they don't see him as a leader anymore, why would they obey him?"

"Not just us!" He banged his fist on the table as hard as he could, but it had failed to gain the momentum he had intended due to the handcuffs. He glowered at Mary Margret. "He has a secret weapon, _your son._ " He sneered, a split second later he seemed to realise what he said, his regret was almost palpable.

Mary Margret fought hard to keep control of her features. "Neal couldn't be seen as his heir, he had nothing to do with George, George claimed that David wasn't his son; he can't have it both ways."

"You're right." Kyle said with a renewed calm. "But James was his son."

"James isn't Neal's father."

"Same DNA." Kyle shrugged.

"Well if you're right, and George is so magnificent, how come he's hiding like a scared child?"

"He's not hiding! He's waiting for you to go find him."

"Fine, give me the address, I'll go see him right away."

Kyle chuckled. "You wouldn't last five minutes."

*OUAT*

David conducted his interview in the bullpen, with the scrawnier man handcuffed to the chair. "Is it Richard, or _Dick_?"

"It's Richard." The man shuffled in his chair slightly. "I didn't mean any harm by breaking into the library."

"Well, I'm sorry I'm not more welcoming, but I don't tend to take well to people who threaten my family."

The man looked so confused David felt slightly sorry for him.

"I remember you, you know." David told him, switching methods, the man seemed to perk up slightly. "You worked in King George's castle, when I first moved there, when I was pretending to be my brother. Your father was close to George, as was your younger brother, right? But your leg didn't always work, I'm sorry to see the curse didn't help you with that." David said quietly, but Richard hung on his every word. "Your leg didn't work so you were stuck in the library while your brother went off to fight. Is that why you follow George? To prove yourself to ghosts?"

"I already proved myself, I got him out of there, out of the mine; like the man in my dream told me to."

"You served your purpose, that's why he led you into a trap." David's voice begged him to believe him. "You're a good man, he knew that you wouldn't go along with his plan to kidnap-"

Richard's voice was quiet, but when he spoke he commanded attention. "Kidnap? There was no plan to kidnap. The Evil Queen, Madam Mayor, she volunteered her son to be George's heir."

David's blood boiled at the thought of Henry being anywhere near that man. "Why would he want Henry?"

"He is a very powerful boy, he's your family so George can claim him too, and he's heir to the Evil Queen, plus he's Rumpelstiltskin's grandson. He could great an amazing new Enchanted forest."

"Regina would never make Henry go there. George played you."

"No!"

"Yes! He knows that Gold would never leave Belle unprotected, and he'd never leave magic books where people could steal them from him. "David's voice was full of emotion. "He's not after a happy ending, he wants to take my children. And I have no idea how to stop him, all I know is that's what I _have to do_. Please. Help me."

Richard was quiet for so long that David feared he was simply going to refuse to talk.

"What do you need to know?"

*OUAT*

They met back in the sheriff's office when they were done.  
"I got an address." Mary Margret said slightly excited.

"Me too." David beamed.

"He said that George is after our son." Mary Margret twirled the ring on her finger nervously. "I don't think he was lying, I made him angry, and it slipped out."

David swallowed his breath, it was one thing to predict that he was after Neal, but it was something else altogether to be told it. He slowly nodded. "Richard thought that he was after Henry, but he seemed to think that Regina had agreed to all this, and as much as I don't always like her… she would do that to Henry, not anymore at least; she wouldn't take him away from all this. Richard was just a pawn."

"Why do I feel like we're being led on a wild goose chase?"

"Because, George likes to play." David snarled "I'm going to make him regret this."

"You and me both." Mary Margret said whole heartedly. "What address did you get?"

David showed her the piece of paper, she showed him the same address in her writing.

"Let's go check this out."

"Are you sure?" David asked hesitantly.

"We've gone against worse odds, plus if we act now we have the element of surprise."

David found himself agreeing against his best instincts.

*OUAT*

It was late night by the time Mary Margret and David got back to the loft.  
Ruby rushed to them as soon as they stepped through the door.

"Are you okay, did you manage to find George?"

David brushed his hand over his face and Mary Margret shook her head tiredly.

"No, by the time we got there George and his lot were well gone." David told their friend.

"They must have cleared everyone out last night and used the attack on Peter Peter's and the Rabbit Hole as a distraction." Mary Margret added. She glanced around; she expected to see Emma asleep on the couch at least, she thought it would be terribly out of character for Emma to have willingly gone to bed, especially if something was going on. "Where's Neal and Emma?"

For the first time since they walked in Ruby smiled. She beckoned them with her hand to follow her, she drew back the curtain to their room. "Neal made Emma read to him on your bed, they fell asleep there together." David wrapped his arm around Mary Margret as they looked at their children, they were curled into each other, Emma had her arms wrapped protectively around her little brother, despite their vastly different hair colours it was clearer than ever that the two were siblings. "I made them both eat and Em took her medicine first." She added proudly.

David rubbed his hand down Mary Margret's back. "I'll take Emma upstairs; she'll be comfier in her own bed." He noticed that he had left the monitor charging next to the bed and he slipped it into his pocket. Mary Margret took Neal from Emma's arms, she was relieved that neither woke up when she did so. David effortlessly picked Emma up, Ruby moved the curtain to the side so he could carry Emma through, then she went to stand back at Mary Margret's side.

"He wants Neal." She sighed to her friend. "He's trying to distract us from that by _torturing_ Emma."

"We're going to get him Mary Margret, I promise you, we won't let him get Neal; and we won't let him hurt Emma anymore."

Mary Margret nodded, she placed her head gently on Neal's and breathed him in. "We're going to properly search the house tomorrow."

"I'll help. I'm sure Granny will watch these two, I'll come with you and see if I can find anything you might not be able to."

It took a while for Mary Margret to speak again, and when she did it was quieter still. "I think… I think we're going to have to try draw him out… we're going to have to use Neal to do so." Ruby said nothing. "Am I a terrible mother?"

"No! No, of course you aren't." Ruby insisted.

"I'm using my child as bait."

"We'll keep him well protected while we draw him out, he won't be in any danger." She asserted firmly. "He still thinks that you think he's after Emma, right?"

"Yeah."

"Then we'll use that to our advantage, he'll never see us coming."


	17. Chapter 17

Edward was hiding in the library, he preferred the term 'avoiding unnecessary trouble', but none the less he had hoped to be alone for a considerable amount of time.

The house they had relocated to, after the one they had based themselves in previously, was simply massive. It was on the outskirts of Storybrooke, with no neighbours anywhere nearby, it was truly secluded. It had more rooms than Edward could count: the east wing of the second floor had been made into dorms for what George had described as his 'army', though with only around thirty men, Edward thought it was too small to be classified as an army- not that he dared to point it out to the king himself. The cellar had multiple rooms within it, all freezing cold and slightly damp, but the perfect place for storing the barrels of beer. The east wing third floor housed George's own bedroom, along with Robert's, Edward also had a room there in order to protect both men; however, Edward tried to give Robert a wide berth, though the man only had magical abilities when it came to controlling and manipulating dreams, there was a sociopathic streak in the man which made him terrible company.

He had discovered that the attic had been made into a library when he fled in search of solitude at the first sign of George's anger. He thought he may have been a scholar, in a different life, but instead he had become… well, who he was now.

He received a temporary reprieve from his thoughts, in the form of a red-faced George, who came storming through the library door. He raised his eyebrow at the thick, leather bound volume open in front of Edward, but made no comment. He crossed his arms as he stood in front of the man who remained sat. The two engaged in something of a staring competition in silence which Edward broke first.

"I told Zachary, Kyle sorry, to play it safe; if he had just come here last night, he wouldn't be with David now."

George nodded but the unhappy look on his face stayed for a few more moments. "I told Kyle, all of the men in my army, what to say if they were to ever get caught." He was now decidedly calmer than the man he was that morning; who had threatened to skin alive the man who told him the news. "But I must admit, the chance that someone will worm the truth out of him does put me slightly on edge, we'll have to move up our plans."

"And just what are our plans?" harsh distrust was clearly evident in Edward's voice as he spoke to George. "You just told me that you want to take over Storybrooke, to somehow create your empire again in this town, without David and his wife intruding." He sounded sceptical when he spoke of Mary Margret and David.

"That's more than most know." George objected sternly. "David and Snow White will fight for one thing; their family."

"I don't understand," Edward frowned, he brought his shoulders up in discomfort at the thought of going after a child, "I thought you just told Richard that, you wanted the Evil Queen's son to be your heir, as a way to throw him off; there's no way she'd agree to work with you, she's friends with them."

"I know that, if I had wanted that, I would have come up with this plan years ago. "

Edward didn't mention that George didn't seem to have much choice in the matter in that regard, or that going after David and his family, was what helped ended up ensure his holiday in the mine.

"It's not their grandson who I want as my heir." He went on. "It's their child."

"I don't hurt children; as you well know." He forced his voice to sound bored. For a moment, the only reaction he received was a smirk, as though he had made a joke.

"Don't tell me that the sell sword has a limit." George sneered. "Need I remind you why I have you in my employment?"

Edward jumped up, he tried to glare George down, and his hand clenched and unclenched at his side.

"It's been such a long time… I wonder," George's voice would have sounded innocent if not for the sneer on his face, "do you even remember them?"

Edward bristled, the muscle in his jaw jumped, as he fought to control the anger and guilt inside himself.

"I'm starting to think you don't want to see them again."

"Of course I do." Edward growled.

"Then: do as you are told." George stressed.

Edward nodded, his words evaded him; he was disgusted in himself, but what else could he do?

"Good, you have two days to make a plan, and bring them to me," George's voice was almost business like, as if he wasn't talking about kidnapping and murder, as he turned back towards the door to leave. "I doubt I need to threaten you anymore."

He paused in the doorway. "Oh, one more thing…"

*OUAT*

The next person George went to visit was Robert, who he always looked forward to visiting, at least in this town; he reminded him of James. They both were assertive, they knew what they wanted and were willing to make sacrifices to get that; of course the sacrifices weren't their own but instead other people's. He had hoped that that trait would have helped George restore wealth to the kingdom, so that James, or David, wouldn't have had to join with Midas'; evidently he was wrong. The house they were currently in was Robert's from the during the first curse, though he hadn't lived in it during then, Robert's memories from that time told him that there had been an inheritance issue; George couldn't help but laugh when he heard that, Regina did have a rather twisted sense of humour, especially with those she did not like.  
George entered Robert's room without bothering to knock, it was almost impossible for Robert to have company, as all the other people in the house avoided the man.

During his time in the mine, George had lost a fair bit of weight, and the lack of sunlight had caused him to become paler than he ever thought possible; but Robert was both skinnier and paler. Like George he too was dressed in an expensive suit, the room he was sat in was decorated simply, yet just as expensively.

"Your highness." Robert greeted, he stood up as the older man entered the room. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" he held out his arm to gesture towards two armchairs which sat in front of the fire.

George accepted the seat, he waited to speak until Robert had taken the other seat. "I visit you often, what makes you think this is any different?"

Robert smirked. "Because," when he spoke his voice was quiet, and higher in pitch than George's, but not high like a mouse; more like a snake, "I'm sure that every person in the town could hear you shouting."

George laughed in honest. "I need you to focus more on David's daughter."

"I've been affecting her dreams for days now; that's why I had to stop _encouraging_ your followers to join you in this realm too." He paused, a sneer slowly spread across his face. "Not that I mind, her memories, they make her dreams _fun_." A sinister twinkle appeared in Robert's eye.

George shared his smile. "I want her distracted, to become useless to help them, isolate her from them."

"I thought you said she had some cuff thing on her? She's useless anyway."

"She might, for all we know she might have it off of her," George insisted, "I learnt the hard way not to underestimate that family; we have to make sure that she doesn't use her magic."

"I have a few ways; her past? How about the death of her son's father? Or the man whose shoelaces she wears on her wrist?" his eyes widen in excitement as he thought of all the possibilities.

"No, she has the same weakness the Shepard has; her family."

"That's a bit repetitive, isn't it?" Robert sighed.

"We both know how family can change a person," George said pointedly, "for better or worse. Sheriff Swan, Emma, she's a firecracker; if we ever want to break her spirit, we break her family. Parents will do anything for their children, word is, that applies more so to her and her son."

Robert nodded, they sat for a moment or two longer. "When do you plan on taking his child?"

George stared at the fire for a few moments longer, as if he was trying to schedule different parts of his plan in a mental diary. "In a day or two, I need to distract the others from them first, including Emma." He said meaningfully.

"About that, I think I might have a plan."

*OUAT*

_She could feel the heat from the bonfire burning through her, it took up the entirety of her vision, but despite that it was a pleasant heat. For the first time since she got ill she was able to feel warm, her breathing was finally slowed she felt a wave of calm rush over her._

" _What did you do?!" Henry screamed at her in horror, he was suddenly by her side, but there was something off about him; he was shorter, or perhaps he was younger, that seemed to keep changing._

_The crackle of the bonfire turned to a roar._

" _I… I didn't do anything." She claimed._

_Henry just looked at her in fear, then slowly turned his head towards the fire._

_It was only then that Emma realised she wasn't stood in front of a bonfire; she was on top of a hill, she often visited, which overlooked the town: the town was on fire._

_Emma tried to run, she needed to get down there, she needed to go help whoever she could; her parents might be down there, their friends, even people she didn't know, she needed to help them!_  
But her feet wouldn't budge an inch.  
"We need to help them! No stay here, I'll, I'll help them." Despite her words she still couldn't spurn herself to action.

" _No." Henry bit viciously. "You've done enough."_

_His words stabbed like a knife through her heart._

" _You've killed everyone! You destroyed my whole family!" Henry continued, tears filled his eyes, and anger filled his voice. "Go away, Emma."_

" _H-Henry." She stuttered, but her tongue felt heavy in her mouth, too heavy to say anything else. She wanted to protest her innocence, to fix it all, to save people; everyone, anyone! But she was paralysed._

" _I was wrong." Henry told her. Suddenly, he was ten again, he looked up at her with wide unforgiving hazel eyes. "I was wrong, you're not just like my other mom; you're worse!" he scrambled away from Emma, the dirt flew from under his feet as he ran, towards the burning town._

_She wanted to scream, to cry, to run after him; to get him to safety away from the town. She needed to get to the town, to use her magic and put the fire out, she wanted to save them._

_But she was too late._

*OUAT*

For the first time that week, Emma woke up alone, neither of her parents by her side. Not for the first time, however, she was gasping for breath. She grabbed a bottle of juice, which had been left at her bedside, and took small sips; next she took her inhaler. She waited for one of her parents to hear her wheezing or the inhaler to be clicked; but once she had finished taking the medicine, and her breathing had eased, she was still by herself.

'It was just a dream.' she thought to herself, her heart was still pounding rapidly in her chest, half due to her dream and partially helped by the medicine.

She twisted her fingers in her lap when seconds later her mother and father were nowhere in sight. She peered at the monitor on the dresser. She vaguely remembered her father placing her on her bed the night before, and turning on the monitor, while she focused on her red leather jacket; trying to do what Regina had told her to do, to block the dreams.

'Well, that clearly didn't work.' She internally rolled her eyes.

The light on the monitor was on, indicating that it _was_ , in fact, still on. She realised that they both must still be asleep. She reached for her cell phone, to check the time, as soon as her fingers took hold of it, she had to use her other hand to cover her mouth to try smother the noise her cough made. She froze for a minute, when she heard no noise from the floor below, she finally sat up; her phone in her hand.

She could have sighed when she saw it was only four forty-three. Instead of placing it back down she quickly fired off a text asking for help 'to do with the story book', she knew that he wouldn't read it for several more hours, but she could feel some of the stress from her dream disintegrating just by texting her son.

Even with that slight anxiety gone; her room still felt claustrophobic. She placed her phone back on her bedside table, then stood up from her be, she shivered when the icy air hit her; she quickly wrapped a blanket around her shoulders and set off down the stairs, intent on lying on the couch instead.

*OUAT*

Once she got down the stairs, instead of going straight couch, she went to the bathroom.

She rubbed the beads of sleep from the corner of her eyes, then studied herself in the mirror; her eyes were bloodshot, a sharp contrast to her green irises, her skin seemed to be whiter in pallor than it normally was, purple stood out from under her eyes, like blood on fallen snow. The effects of the dreams were really starting to catch up to her, what she desperately needed to do was to sleep, but after that last dream she had no intent to do so that night. She shut twisted the tap on, she cupped the cold water in her hands, and splashed her face with it; she sucked in a sharp breath when the water hit her face, it was much colder than she had expected, she winced once straight away at the sharp pain caused by her intake of breath. But despite the cold, and the pain, the water helped ground her slightly. She stared into the running water and debated with herself the merits of making a cup of coffee:

'Pro,' she thought, 'it'll keep me awake. Con, if either of my parents wake up they'll kill, once for drinking caffeine, and again for trying to stay awake.' Despite David's claim, to Emma, that he had made her mother lay off in terms of the diet but he and Mary Margret had refused point blank to allow her to have any caffeine. 'Pro, I've really missed coffee. Con, if my parents catch me, they will definitely kill me.'

In the end, Emma's taste buds won. She shut the tap off, and exited the bathroom using the door closest to the kitchen; her blanket was still firmly wrapped around her shoulders. But when she opened the door, she jumped out of her skin, her hand flew to her heart and her breath caught in her throat.

David was stood near the kitchen island with his right side forward, he was still in his pyjamas and his hair was mess, he had obviously just woken up; he pointed his sword at Emma. It wasn't until Emma stepped forward, into the low light of the kitchen lamp, that David realised it was her. "Oh, Emma!" He sighed, he quickly lowered his arm, and carefully placed the sword onto the table.

Now that Emma knew her father wasn't about to turn her into a kabab, she stepped out of the bathroom door, and pulled the door shut.

"What are you doing up?" David surveyed her with a critical eye, the concern on his face made it clear he didn't like what he saw, he closed the gap between the two of them.

"Could ask you the same." Emma shot back her voice started to broke as she did so.

David raised his eyebrow at her attitude, then brought his eyebrows together in worry when he realised that her voice was starting to go. "I heard a noise, I didn't know it was you in the bathroom, I thought it might be someone else." He didn't say who the someone was, but it was clear to Emma, that David had expected it to be one of George's henchmen. "Did you have a nightmare?" he asked sympathetically.

"Chill, dad, I was just using the bathroom." She claimed, brushing off his concern, she hoped he would buy her lie.

He nodded once but continued to look fretful. His look quickly turned to one of confusion and amusement, his hand darted towards Emma, he tugged at the blanket. "Why are you wearing a blanket like a cape?" he asked with a smile on his face.

"It's cold." Emma shrugged, that second her body shivered in agreement, so David nodded in belief.

"It is," he agreed with a smile, "it's also late, you should get some sleep Em."

Emma frowned, but quickly smoothed her face over, it looked like she wouldn't be getting coffee now; though perhaps she could sneak down again in an hour.

David placed his hand between her shoulder blades to lead her back towards the stairs, he pressed a kiss to the top of her head, then suddenly stopped walking. He placed his hands one her shoulders and turned her towards him, he kept one of his hands on her shoulder, then placed the other one on Emma's forehead. His look of concern quickly reappeared. "Oh Emma…" David sighed. "You need some more medicine; you're burning up."

"No I don't." She knew she probably sounded whiney, but it was way too early in the morning for her to care. "I'm fine." She pouted.

David raised his eyebrow, clearly unimpressed, but he had a small smile on his lips at her pout. "Emma, your temperature is higher than I'd like, and you sound like your throat hurts." He kissed the top of her head then directed her towards the kitchen.

Emma rolled her eyes and dragged her feet to the kitchen, she slipped onto the island stool, and laid her head on the cool counter while David grabbed what she needed.

David watched Emma take the pills, he had to refrain from feeling for Emma's temperature out of worry, but only because it would probably just annoy Emma and there wouldn't be a different yet anyway. "Let's get you to bed, Em," he yawned, "you look exhausted."

"It's okay," Emma said rubbing her eyes, "I can go by myself."

David frowned as he watched Emma go up the stairs, he had to stop himself from following her up out of worry, instead he had to force himself to believe that Emma would feel better in the morning; and went to bed himself.

*OUAT*

Emma forced herself to pry her eyes open, once again, she had been teetering on the edge of sleep since she had gone back up to bed. She had tried to drag herself back downstairs but the medicine had made to even sleepier, she knew she was way too tired to be able to get down the stairs without waking her parents up again, and making coffee quietly was completely out of the question.

After what felt like an eternity, Emma heard the sound of her family starting to come to life on the floor below; the shower ran, the indistinct rumble of voices, and Neal's laughter at something. But she still couldn't bring herself to get out of the bed, the smell of food cooking wafted up to her room, and her cell phone buzzed on her table.

She was shocked when she grabbed the cell and saw that she had a text from Henry, since he had become a teenage, he was slowly starting to become allergic to waking up in the morning. His text simply told her that he'd help, his lack of expansion and excitement on the subject, led her to believe that Henry had simply just fallen asleep. The text did, however, manage to wake her up slightly; and yet she found herself immobilised in her bed, after all she didn't need to go downstairs just yet…

She stretched then pushed herself out of her bed, she realised quickly that she was trying to isolate herself, she was totally planning on blaming that on Regina's nightmare methods. The method which clearly wasn't working, and if she had to choose between getting the nightmares and not locking herself in her room, and isolating herself and still getting the nightmares; she knew which one she was going to choose. She wrapped a blanket around herself once again, to protect against the cold, then set back off down the frozen metal stairs.

*OUAT*

David's eyes widened in surprise when Emma appeared in the kitchen. "I didn't expect to see you up so early, kiddo, you feeling okay?" he moved from his place at the kitchen table to meet her. From the corner of his eye, he noticed Mary Margret turning around at the sound of his voice, but she stayed in her place stirring her and Neal's oatmeal on the hob; at least for the time being. He led her over to the island counter, as he did so he noticed that she was just as pale and tired looking as she was the night before, and judging by the blanket around her she was just as cold. He took advantage of Emma sitting down to feel for her temperature, he could feel the heat radiating off of her before he even touched her skin, Emma seemed to lean against it before she realised what she was doing and pushed it away.

"'m 'kay." Emma croaked, she coughed a little to clear her voice, but grimaced at the sharp pain in her chest. "'m fine." She tried again, rather unbelievably, then she pulled the blanket closer around her.

"Are you still cold?" David asked.

Emma simply nodded, she wasn't keen on having to speak again, the burning of her chest and throat weren't experiences she wanted to repeat. Instead she laid her head on the counter, and revelled in the coolness of the surface against her skin, at the same time her teeth started to chatter she couldn't help but wish for a warmer blanket, she had a feeling that today was not going to be a good day.

David shot Mary Margret a worried look, the heat in the loft had been on low all night, then they had turned it up when they had woken up; there was really no reason for Emma to be as cold as she was, not unless her temperature had gone up.

"I'll make you some tea for your throat, sweetheart," Mary Margret told her and she started to whirl around the kitchen, "David, can you get her temperature?"

"Already on it." He tapped Emma's shoulder when he had grabbed the device. "Here you go, kiddo."

Emma sat up enough to take the thermometer off of David, and place it into her mouth, then she slumped back against the counter; only half listening to parent's small talk, which was tinged with worry, a worry which was clearly not for their conversation.

"The weather's meant to get even worse, it won't be convenient in searching for George…" David placed his hand onto Emma's back and started to rub circles onto it.

"But perhaps it will help draw him out, or he'll be forced to wait it out, especially if there is going to be a storm."

"When's there supposed to be a storm?" David asked, between looking after Emma and Neal, and trying to stop George, he had fallen behind on the news.

"Tuesday." She said pouring the hot water onto the honey and lemon drink.

"I suppose that gives us a little time to prepare."

"Do you need to do anything, as the sheriff, if a storm happens?" Mary Margret worried, should a storm happen, she didn't want David, or anyone else she cared about, to be out in it.

"Only if there's an emergency, the preparation for any storms fall to Regina, she'll probably have scared the dwarves into putting salt down." David said drinking his coffee.

Mary Margret shot him a slightly reproachful look, as she placed Emma's tea in front of her, mere seconds later the thermometer beeped. Emma took it out of her mouth, and held it up, she didn't bother to try read it as she knew one of the parent's would take it from her anyway.

David was the first one to get it, though, Emma's lack of fight was starting to worry him. "102.6" He read off, his forehead now creased, outwardly showing his unease.

"I'm okay." Emma reiterated.

"No, you're not," Mary Margret argued, "you have a fever. Drink your tea it'll help your throat."

"Should we take her to the doctors?" David asked, not nearly quietly enough, his hand was still rubbing Emma's back.

Emma shook her head no as she sipped her tea.

Mary Margret looked apprehensive. "She has her appointment tomorrow afternoon at the hospital, I don't want to take her there if we can help her at home-"

"- she can make her own decision." Emma protested; somewhat out of breath and half-heartedly.

"Hush." Mary Margret directed, then she turned back to David, who still looked unconvinced, "If her temperature gets to one hundred and four, we'll take her to the ER." She smiled ad him reassuringly, she had to remind herself that this was the first time David had actually seen Emma so ill.

David nodded somewhat begrudgingly "Okay, but Em, you really need to just rest today."

"There go my plans on running a marathon."

David chuckled then downed the rest of his coffee. "You want oatmeal or cereal?"

"I'm not really hungry."

"Not an option." Mary Margret informed her. "What's your brother up to, he's being way too quiet." She walked over to where Neal was in the living room.

"You heard your mom, what's it gonna be?"

"Cereal, I guess, but the good kind please." Emma practically begged. "One with lots of sugar."

"Do you eat any other kind?" David smirked.

Emma sat with her head on her hand at the table as they all ate, Neal had managed to get half of his oatmeal on his face, and Mary Margret and David were eating surprisingly fast.  
"What day is it?"

"Sunday," Mary Margret answered. "Why?"

Emma frowned slightly. "Then why are you eating so fast? We normally work from home on Sundays."

"Your mother and I have to go into the station." David said softly. "We have to go search the house we found yesterday, and we also have to speak with some people, we think we might have a plan to get George to come to us."

Emma looked at them both waiting for them to expand on their plan.

"We think that George is after Neal." David informed her.

Mary Margret spoke before Emma had a chance. "But, we think that we have a way to draw him out. We have to maintain the appearance of normal life, so I'll be taking Neal to 'Mommy and me' class, George will most likely try to make his move there; when he does we'll have a group ready to capture him."

"He isn't the nicest person, so half of Storybrooke signed up to be on standby; we have the best helping us." David added

"I want to help."

"No!" They both told her.

Emma recoiled, a hurt look crossed her face, she hid it as quickly as she could. "He's my brother."

"And _you're_ our _daughter_." David told her firmly. " _We_ look after you _both_."

Emma's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Emma," Mary Margret said just as firmly, but calmer than David had been, "you're too ill. Anyway, your father isn't even going to be there, he's going to be here with you; you're not the only one who doesn't get to go."

Emma's eyes went wide with fear about what could go wrong. "But you should be there!" she tried to shout but her throat felt like it was ripping and all that came out was still just the whisper she had been speaking in.

David nodded almost imperceptively. "I should. But I should also be here with you, you're still ill and I don't ever want to see you get as bad as you were last week. Anyway, Ruby will be with your mother, she can call me if she really needs me."

"So, if you're both going to work, I presume there'll be another babysitter?" Emma changed the subject, signifying her acceptance of her parents' plan.

"There will be, Granny, but she's here for Neal not you." Mary Margret claimed, but Emma looked at her with a raised eyebrow, until Mary Margret sighed in defeat. "She'll just be there if you need anything. I'm still not happy about leaving you with this fever, and you seem like you're in a lot of pain still, even when your breathing…" Mary Margret worried.

"You just need to rest today, kiddo," David told her sounding just as anxious, "try not to speak too much, drink tea, and get some rest; you look exhausted."

"Did you have any nightmares, last night, sweetheart?" Mary Margret asked, she knew David hadn't mentioned any, and she hadn't heard anything.

Emma shook her head and drank some more of her tea.

"So, what Regina told you to do… it worked?" Mary Margret asked with slight trepidation.

Emma couldn't bring herself to quash her parents hope, especially when they so clearly had their plates full, it wasn't like she couldn't handle it… "Yeah." She told them with a smile.

*OUAT*

Emma jerked awake when she heard a bang and a heavy scrapping noise. Her head shot up so quickly, that she felt a twinge in her neck. She quickly realised that she had fallen asleep on the couch, the bang was someone knocking on the door, and the scrape was Granny's crossbow being picked up by her from the table. Emma couldn't help but feel slightly in awe, and just a little terrified, of the older woman. Emma called Neal closer to her as he played with his toy cars, as Granny looked out of the peephole, she wanted him as close to her as possible if something was up. Granny lowered her crossbow and quickly opened the door with a smile.

"Hey Granny." Henry greeted, sauntering into the loft, he grinned broadly at Emma when he saw her, his thumbs were looped though the straps of his backpack and he bounced slightly on his toes before he walked over to her.

"Henry? I didn't realise you were coming." Emma said confused, had her parents told her?

"My mom just dropped me off, she said she had text you…" Henry trailed he looked at Emma nervously.

"Oh," Emma said relieved that she hadn't just spaced out, "my phones upstairs. What's in the backpack, kid?" She asked bemused.

Granny went back to sit at the table, updating her recipe book, and Neal was playing so intently he hadn't even noticed Henry in the room.

Henry took a seat next to her on the couch. He took his backpack off and pulled out his story book "Well, I figured that if we're both not allowed to actually help, we could help behind the scenes. We might be able to find out things about George and his men, to understand them, and find ways to beat them. I know grams and gramps want to protect us, but we started this whole thing, we're heroes too."

Emma grinned at Henry, she loved that he wanted to be a hero like her parents, and perhaps there would even be something about the dream guy; plus, she was kind of sick of feeling so defenceless and as though she can't help at all. "Okay, kid, let's get started."


	18. Chapter 18

Emma had grabbed the 'maybe' and 'definitely' files, from where they had been left on one of the cabinets, and Henry gathered his story book and some pens and paper; and together they migrated to Mary Margret's and David's bedroom, away from Neal's sticky hands, and his begging for Henry to read him 'mommy and daddy's' story. Emma had her own blanket wrapped around her shoulders still, but when she fell onto the bed, she wrapped one of her parent's blankets around herself too. Being alone with Henry forced her mind to reel back to her dream, being in her own home made her slightly at peace, however she knew that she would feel the anxiety over her family's fate until David and Mary Margret returned home; she felt so childish to being feeling that way but there was nothing she could do to dispel the feelings. So decided, instead, to focus on the story book.

"So," Emma began her voice was still hoarse and weak her small nap hadn't helped it in the slightest, "we're going to look at George's story, and see if we can match anyone in the stories?" She tried to stifle a yawn, but her couple of fast breaths to rectify the yawns longevity, made Henry distinctly aware.

"You've not been sleeping well, have you?" He asked. "You don't have to lie; I can tell."

"Wow, do I look that bad?" Emma joked. "Way to lay on the charm, kid."

Henry raised his eyebrow, clearly unswayed by Emma's avoidance, he stared his mother down.

"Okay, you're right, but don't worry about me Henry; I'll be fine."

"When I was having nightmares, when I was little," Henry entrusted, "my mom would ask me about them. But I didn't like to tell her about them, or talk about them at all, so she got me to write them down. At first I thought it was stupid, but then I got used to it, and it started to help."

"Thank you, Henry," Emma smiled genuinely, "I'll keep that in mind."

Henry positively beamed under her compliment, and that he might have been able to help his mother, even in a small way. "Yeah, we're going to look at George's story, but I also found something else. What do you know about The Sandman?"

"Erm… He gives children good dreams, or something?" Emma said. "I'm pretty sure he was in a movie with Santa Clause and The Easter Bunny."

"I like that movie!" Henry said with joy, but then his expression darkened. "But, you couldn't be more wrong."

"You got being dramatic from your other mom." Emma deadpanned as Henry opened the book. "Or from Gold…. Or my parents…" Emma frowned.

*OUAT*

Henry opened the book, and started to read.

_Once upon a time, there was a Duke and a Duchess. They were close friends with King George and his wife. The Duke and Duchess were desperately in love, and although true love was rare, and hard to find, they shared it._

"Seriously?" Emma interrupted. "I'm pretty sure most the people in this town have found their true loves."

"Well, it was harder to find, in those days." Henry guessed. "They had to work hard and travel a lot to find it. Now shush."

_Though their love was true and pure, the child born unto them, was not. The baby boy, who they named Robert, was pale and sickly looking. Although the parents were assured their child was healthy, and would grow stronger, the baby never once cried. Soon the Duchess became deeply enthralled by her son; so much so she wouldn't allow anyone, other than his father, to be with him. She would often forget to eat and bathe, but she would still manage to sleep, whenever she would wake her obsession would be renewed. By the time Robert was two, the Duchess fell ill, yet she would still worry over her son. A couple of weeks later, the Duchess died._

_The Duke worked intimately with the King, and he was at the castle so often that he and his son moved into the castle, only leaving on short breaks. The King's wife had also passes away, however he had a son around the same age as Robert. Robert and Prince James became fast friends, but the servants of the palace would try to avoid the pair, for they had a vicious streak: the two would tease, humiliate, and frighten any of the other children who lived there, though as there was no proof neither the Duke nor the King were told._

_But the boys' behaviour became worse._

_When Robert turned nine, the Duke confided a secret with the King. Since the moment the boy was born he had certain skills; he was able to gift people with magnificent dreams… or the harshest of nightmares. As Robert had gotten older he had stopped giving the people good dreams, and instead gave them nightmares to get whatever he wanted. Robert had tortured other children as they napped, he had even changed his mother's dreams as a baby to try and make her care about no one but himself. The Duke begged the king for his help, the king quickly promised his help… but King George had other plans._

"Wait, so this kid was already a psychopath, and friends with my dad's brother…. And George decided to turn him into an even bigger one?"

"The bad guys never want to actually help others." Henry said somewhat sadly.

_George began to teach Robert to find out people's weaknesses, and to change their dreams to match them, he moulded Robert to his own needs; George grew richer and greedier._

_Until one day, the Duke overheard their lesson. He realised that his closest ally had just made his son worse. The Duke gathered all the men he trusted, they knocked Robert out with poppy dust while he slept early that morning, and they carried him to a village far, far away from the kingdom; and throw him down a well until the Duke was able to find someone to help. By the time the carriages were out of the kingdom on their way to the desert, George had found out what the Duke had done, King George had killed the Duke by nightfall._

"How is this story in a kid's book?" Emma protested, only to be hushed once more by her son, she frowned but nodded at him to continue.

_Without the Duke searching for someone to help his son, Robert spent years in the well, he appeared in the villager's dreams convincing them to send food and water down the dry well; but he never managed to convince anyone to help him out. Until one day a stranger came to the village, instead of giving her nightmares, Robert sent her amazing dreams. She awoke from one, one night, still under the effects of the dream she walked to the well; and pulled Robert out of it._

_Robert started the long journey back to George's kingdom, on his way he used dreams in order to gain clothing, food, places to stay, and money. But it still took Robert several days to reach George's castle._

_When he reached there, he found that his only friend, Prince James, had died. In his place was his twin, David. George kept Robert hidden from David, in case the King needed Robert to play with the new prince's dreams._

_Once Robert regained his strength, from his long journey, George had Robert play with the dreams on some of his soldiers. However, Robert only managed to damage two of the men's minds. He tried to play with anyone and everyone's dreams, even George's and his new son's, but to no avail._

_George kept Robert safe and protected, under the advice of a witch, that Robert's powers would come back; so long as he didn't try for several years._

"I guess a twenty-eight-year curse is enough rest." Emma was careful not to sigh, so Henry wouldn't have to watch her having an asthma attack again, she couldn't hide her cough though.

"Yeah." Henry agreed. "But do you realise how he controls the dreams?"

"Magic?" Emma guessed weakly.

"Well, yeah, but he can only do it to people who are already asleep."

Emma nodded thoughtfully. "So, all I have to do is stay awake until we catch him." She watched Henry's face turn nervous. "Hey, kid, we _are_ going to get him; trust me."

Henry looked at her with renewed hope. "I know you will, even if we don't get to help them this time." He smirked in shared reluctance at that statement.

"Why was he called the Sandman then? If he doesn't throw sand at people to get them to sleep?"

"Did you not hear the bit about the well?" He asked with amusement.

"I forgot it when the book called my dad, George's son." Emma joked.

"I'll find George's story."

"I'll check the files then." Emma stretched with a yawn.

*OUAT*

David, Mary Margret, and Regina piled out of the car in front of the house Mary Margret and David had visited the day before, Mary Margret dashed off to the left of the muddy driveway, spotting something in the light of day she hadn't been able to see before. David was hot on her heels, Regina strode coolly after them.

"Tire tracks, they could be a couple of days old, they were frozen." Mary Margret crouched down to examine the tracks. "These weren't from us, were they?"

"No," David answered from next to her, "they're way too wide. Could be a truck, or a lorry?" He stood back up twisting around to look at his surroundings. "There's a farm over there; they might have seen something."

"Perfect." Regina said dryly. "You should go talk to them," she directed at David, "after all, you speak their language."

David glared at her until Mary Margret squeezed his hand.

"You should go, we'll wait here for you." She told him, having predicted David's protest.

David, somewhat reluctantly, took the keys out from her hand and made his way to the car.

"You're worried about tomorrow." Regina stated but she was met with silence. "Good. You should be."

Mary Margret turned to face her. "Do you think it's wrong, us using Neal as bait?"

Regina sighed. "I think it's an impossible situation, but if anyone can make it work, it'd be you."

"That's not what I asked." Mary Margret's voice was hard and demanding.

"I've seen your plan, you don't put Neal near any danger, it'd be better if he were far, far away… But George is relentless, he's going to keep going after your son until you stop him, this is the only way."

"How do you know?" Mary Margret rubbed her hands together, as if trying to warm them up despite the gloves she was wearing, she kept getting caught in her own self-doubt; right now what she really needed was Regina's 'no pulling punches' talk."

"It's what I would do, not if I were you, but if I were George. If I could have got to you, or your child, when you were defenceless when we were in the Enchanted forest; I would have risked just to see the look on your face to know you had lost everything. I only managed to do that when I had already cast the curse, everyone was too busy worrying about that, to worry about me." Regina looked troubled at her own memories, the person she was when she had cursed them all, was so different from the person she was now; it was almost like she was a different person.

"And you'll be there to help?" Mary Margret asked, cutting through Regina's thoughts.

Unable to find a sarcastic remark or witty comment, Regina just nodded.

"Mr Tom said heard a truck and some cars going through on Friday night. Apparently they were really noisy, and quite a lot of them." David said exasperated once he climbed out of the car. "You owe me by the way," he told Regina, "he wasn't a fan of cops, I had to prove my shepherding knowledge to him before he'd even talk."

Mary Margret muffled a laugh.

"Then it's a good thing that I didn't speak to him, do I look like I know about farming?" Regina raised her eyebrow in retort.

"No, I'm sure that you never had to do a day of work in your life, Regina." David said sarcastically but without fire, his eyes were fixed on the house in front of him.

Mary Margret linked her fingers through her husband's, his eyes tore off of the house, and onto her. She sent him a sympathetic look, she could tell why David wasn't putting his usual effort into his remarks, because she felt it too: fear. "Let's go search this place."

The house, not overly large, was completely cleared out; that was until they reached the second floor.

Two rooms stood beside each other, both held wooden double beds, sheets were crumpled on top of them, the wardrobe in one of the rooms was empty, however in the other lay the clothes George was in while he was imprisoned.

"George was definitely here then." Mary Margret remarked to Regina who walked into the room to meet her.

"The other room has a weird feel too, I'm sure that freak was in there, I can almost feel the dark magic in there."

Mary Margret looked thoughtfully "Are you okay?" she asked her quietly.

"I just remember how it feels; powerful, enticing… but… wrong. " Regina gave her a tight smile. "Stop worrying: I'm fine."

"Hey guys, come see this room!" David called through from the room across the hall.

Regina led the way to a smaller room, than the two of them had been in, but this room was messier. The single bed's covers were twisted, and half fallen on the floor, a rusted sword peeked out from under the bed.

"This was on the floor." David held up a piece of paper with faint pencil writing on it. "'Thirty ', then I think this word is army. I think he has, or is trying, to build an army of thirty."

"Whose room is this meant to be?" Mary Margret asked, now that the three of them were completely inside it there was barely enough room to move, a stark difference to the comfier furnished rooms; but bizarrely close to them.

"I think it might be a guard, for George," David narrowed his eyes as he looked around at the peeling wallpaper, "he won't be up to protecting himself after being imprisoned for so long."

"How about Robert, he can mess with people's dreams, he can't protect them?"

"It doesn't work like that." Regina answered Mary Margret. "For whatever reason his magic only works to change dreams, which is a good thing for us, I wouldn't want to see what he could do with proper magic."

"Come on, I want to see if they forgot anything in the attic." David pushed his way out of the room determinedly.

-  
"Shit." David muttered to himself, his feet stuck to the ground, Mary Margret had to quickly stop herself from running into him.

"Oh my…" Mary Margret trailed off.

"Brilliant." Regina deadpanned.

Thirty beds lined the icy room, outnumbering the amount of good fighters they could possibly assemble, their only hope was that the owners of the empty beds _weren't_ good fighters. Unlike the beds on the lower floor, these beds were completely stripped, the room was as stark as the guard's. The three started to search the nooks and crannies of the room in hopes that they'd find any more clues like they found in the other room.

"What are you thinking?" Mary Margret asked as she brushed to his side.

David wiped a hand across his brow. "Being here…it's made _this_ more real. _And_ all the man power he's got behind him, to try and abduct our son? I'm…. I… I'm terrified." David admitted, equally as quietly. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

Mary Margret laid her head against his shoulder for a second. "I know; I am too. But good always wins, remember; and even if it didn't, _we_ would win because we do anything for our family."

David wordlessly pressed a kiss to the top of her head, his head rested against hers for a few minutes, before he whispered so quietly he might have been talking to himself. "I love you, so, so, much."

"If you two are done," Regina drawled, "I think I've found something."

She held up a badge she had found behind one of the beds; a simple name badge rimmed with orange plastic with the name 'John'.

"That's from the supermarket." Mary Margret observed. "I know him, he's only young, and he seems too quiet and nice to be involved with this." She frowned, she thought of herself as a rather good judge of character, during talks with the cashier over the years of her life in Storybrooke, he hadn't seemed the type to be involved in trying to kidnap her son.

"I'll get Leroy to bring him in." David stated; although Mary Margret seemed to be doubting the man's guilt, and David trusted her almost always, sometimes her optimistic views of people was unwise; sometimes it was better to be safe than sorry.

"You'll need somewhere to put all these prisoners you're collecting," Regina started to tap on her cell phone, "tell him to take them to the hidden ward of the hospital."

David nodded and started to dial the other man on his cell.

*OUAT*

When they were in the entrance hall, Mary Margret tugged her hand free of her husband's, something in the fireplace, which they had ignored when they walked in, had caught her eye.

"Mary Margret?" David questioned as she examined the long dead fire.

With shaking hands the dark haired woman pulled a half burnt piece of paper from the embers.

"Mary Margret, what is it?" He saw the fear in her eyes, fear and realisation.

"George will be there tomorrow." The uncharred part of the paper read the time, and location, of the next 'Mommy and me' session.

He took long strides to Mary Margret, and wrapped his arms securely around her. Any comforting words, or alternative ideas why that paper could be there, died in his mouth.

Regina's ringtone shattered the silence, and the clicking of her heels as she left the room, seemed to bring them out of their rare moment of pessimism.

"We aren't going to let him win, I promise you, Neal will be fine; this time tomorrow we'll have George somewhere he can never hurt any of us again." David's voice was gruff with emotion. "Are you sure you don't want me to be there too?" he added, betraying his false confident tone.

"I'm sure, if he catches wind of you being there he might bolt, before we have a chance to catch him". She pressed her hands lovingly to his chest. "Plus, if Emma's left by herself…"

"Emma might try to come and help us." David finished with a sigh. "Do you think if we had raised her she'd actually listen to us?"

"With us as parents?" Mary Margret laughed "I very much doubt that."

David joined in her giddy laughter, giddy by exhaustion and fear, but better than the dark thoughts they had just been thinking.

Their laughter was broken up by Regina's heels clicking once more as she re-entered the hall, this time the sound forced the couple to look at her, both with smiles still on their faces. The smiles dropped when they saw Regina's shocked face, her cell was still clutched in her hand, like a lifeline.

"Regina, what is it?" Mary Margret asked in concern. "What's happened?"

"That was Robin, he was watching Henry for me." She said, her voice was almost void of emotion.

Mary Margret and David nodded, her statement wasn't news to them, but they listened more intently hearing their grandson's name.

"Henry was reading comics in his room, when he hadn't been down for a while, Robin went to check on him." Fear had filtered into her voice now. "Henry's missing."

"Regina," Mary Margret said assertively while David stared in shock, "we'll find him. He might have just run off, we don't know, he might have thought he was helping somehow."

"George could still get him, _even_ , if that is the case." Regina started to walk to the door, she was ready to search all of the town and take down George and all his men by herself, if she had even the slightest possibility of finding her son.

"Wait, Regina!" David called after her.

"What David?" She demanded fiercely. "I need to go find my son."

"I want to find him too, he's my grandson." David forced himself to contain his own nerves and talked in a calm voice. "But storming around town at random won't work. Come back to the loft-"

"And what? Drink tea?"

"Emma has an app, on her cell phone, which she can track Henry with." David told her. "Even if Henry hasn't gone off by himself, he's a smart boy, he will have tried to keep his cell with him; _we will find him_."

Regina nodded, impressed with Emma's forward thinking. "Fine. But I'm driving." She twisted clicked once and their bodies were engulfed in purple smoke.

*OUAT*

Granny scrambled to grab her crossbow when purple smoke appeared in the corner of her eye. She sucked in her breath and quickly dropped her weapon to the side, when she saw Mary Margret and David appear, Regina with them. Her free hand flew to her chest in surprise. "You almost gave me a heart attack."

But Regina's eyes were darting around the loft, searching for Emma's blonde hair, but all she saw was Neal's dark locks and a plate of freshly made chocolate chip cookies. "Where's Emma?" She demanded.

"She's in David's and Mary Margret's room, with Henry, why?" Granny told her. "Though you know, it's polite to say hello and use the front door." She hollered after her.

David and Mary Margret raced after Regina to their room when they heard who Emma was with, both of them ignored Granny's questions and Neal calling their names, that second they needed to see that their grandson was safe.

Regina ripped back the curtain, causing both Emma and Henry to look up startled.

"Erm… Hi mom." Henry gave her a sheepish smile.

"Henry Daniel Mills, do you have any idea how worried I was?" Regina glowered.

Henry lowered his head ashamed, while Emma sat next to him looking confused.

Regina was obviously either oblivious or uncaring of Emma's confusion at the situation, as she started on her. "And I thought you had more sense, Miss Swan, than to let Henry put himself in danger like that."

"Wha-" Emma tried to ask, but no noise came out.

"Regina." Mary Margret interrupted. "Emma clearly didn't know. And I think you might be focusing on the wrong person here." Mary Margret shared a look with David, before she left the room; to give Regina, Emma, and Henry a chance to talk in relative privacy, and she wanted to see Neal, plus she needed to fill Granny in on what had just happened.

Taking the silent instruction from his wife, David stayed in the room, everyone's tempers were running high right now especially Emma's and Regina's. So he stayed silent, trying to be impassive to the discussion, as he stood leaning against the wall in the doorway.

"Henry I want an explanation, please," Regina crossed her arms over her chest, "why did you sneak out, we were worried you had been taken."

"I just wanted to help, you guys were busy, actually being allowed to _do_ stuff.

"Henry, we talked about this, George is dangerous;" Regina sighed frustrated, "and he has it out for your grandparents. So, until he's caught, you need to stay where I know you are."

"But I can help!" Henry protested "I'm better at figuring out these stories than anyone."

"Henry." Emma whispered, her voice was weak, but stopped Henry in his arguments.

"Go and get your things together Henry, we'll continue this discussion, at length, when we get home." Regina's eyes narrowed on Emma, as though she had forgotten she was there.

"Mom, my other mom didn't know anything, I told her that you dropped me off" Henry swore.

"Go get your things, Henry." Regina repeated.

Henry slowly walked out of the room, his grandfather squeezed his shoulder supportively, when he walked past him.

"You should have checked to see if he was telling the truth, do you not think that your parents would have mentioned Henry coming over?" Regina's anger was like static in the air, anger at the situation not Emma truthfully… but Emma was there. "Perhaps your 'superpower' doesn't work as well as you think it does," she sneered, "or perhaps you simply don't know your son."

"Regina!" David exclaimed, he knew that the mayor had been scared, but she was taking it out on Emma far too much; and for once Emma had stayed quiet the entire time.

But then, Emma finally spoke, only it wasn't to protest Regina's false and vicious claims; it was to him. "It's okay, Dad." Her voice only just breaking above a whisper, she nodded her head towards the open curtain, silently asking him to leave them for a minute. But even when he left, she sat quietly, her mind on the other hand was racing. She should have been able to tell Henry was lying, she told herself, Henry had been out all alone…

"You put him in danger." Regina told her coldly, her own mind was reeling with what _could_ have happened. "And if David and Mary Margret hadn't of suggested coming here, to get your help, your mistake could have put your parents at risk too- we could have split up to search for him." She paused as she watched her words sink into Emma, she could feel herself just letting off steam before she had to deal with Henry, but there was something in Emma's face which put her at a slight unease. "You can't protect Henry, you can't use magic, and you can't speak let alone fight. If it comes to it, you won't be able to help him. I don't want him visiting you without your parents here too, not some lady who'll probably try kill them by cooking meatloaf, not until we've rounded up every single last one of George's men." She twisted sharply on her heels and exited the room before Emma could even protest, beg, or follow.

David ruffled Henry's hair. "You really worried us, kid" he kept his voice light.

"Please never do that to us again." Mary Margret brought her grandson into a tight hug while still holding her son.

David looked critically at Regina as she entered the room, the other room seemed to not be on fire, so that was a good sign. But he didn't like that Emma had wanted to be left alone with Regina, not when she was angry, and Emma was physically unable to talk her way out of it. Emma and Regina seemed to be kind of friends, but when Regina was angry, she still tended to make things deeply personal. He suddenly felt himself being pulled into a bone crushing hug from Henry.

"Look after my mom, please." Henry whispered.

"Of course." David promised before the boy released him. "We'll see you soon, sport, try to stay out of trouble until then." He smirked; Henry turned red with embarrassment, Mary Margret nudged an elbow into his ribs, and he could feel Regina practically simmering as she waited for Henry- at least Granny smiled though.

"I'll see you tomorrow." Regina said by way of a goodbye as Henry walked to her side.

As soon as Regina magic-ed herself and Henry out of the loft, and presumably back to their own house, David strode to his room, Mary Margret and Neal were following him.

-  
Emma was sat on the bed, frozen in her thoughts, the blanket which had been around her shoulders had slid off without her realising, and the files and random papers in hers and Henry's writing were spread around the bed. David paused as he looked at his girl, she just looked so lost, he was torn between wanting to sit with her and make it all okay, and storming over to Regina's house and demanding to know what she had said to her. Mary Margret, on the other hand, overtook David and quickly moved a few files so she could sit beside her daughter on the couch. David mirrored her movements, he quickly moved all of the files from the bed onto the trunk at the end of the bed, out of Neal's grabbing hands, and sat on Emma's other side.

Mary Margret let Neal down onto the centre of the bed "Don't take any notice of what Regina had to say," she brushed an errant hair behind Emma's ear, frowning when she felt the heat radiating of off her, "she was just worried about Henry. She shouldn't have taken it out on you. Are you okay?"

Emma looked down and nodded, she twisted her hands in her lap, but Regina's words settled deep within her. She had put Henry in danger, hadn't she? Just like in her dream. She could feel herself mixing up the events in the dream and the ones which had actually happened. Her mind felt like it was fighting with itself; she was exhausted. She felt her mother wrap a blanket around her shoulders and her father's hand rest on her knee as he fought for her attention. She slowly looked back up, she only met his eyes for a brief second, before she looked down to look at his chest.

"It's okay, kiddo, Henry was the one who decided to sneak out; you couldn't have known." David told her gently. He suddenly took his hand off her leg, so that he could catch Neal, who was attempting to dive off of the bed. "Stay on the bed buddy; or the tickle monster will get you." David tickled his son slightly, Neal in turn giggled and darted over to his mother. David smiled then turned back to his daughter. "You look tired, Em, why don't you get some sleep?"

"I'm fine." Emma whispered, she winced slightly, at the burning pain in her lungs and throat.

"Do I have to threaten you with the tickle monster, too?" He teased.

A smile flickered onto Emma's face, but disappeared as quickly as it had appeared.

"I want to get her temperature before she sleeps, David." Mary Margret told him as she saw Emma fighting valiantly to stay away. While Mary Margret was talking to Granny she had found out why and when Henry had arrived at the loft, and that Emma had only slept for around half an hour. She looked at her daughter's face and saw her becoming drowsier by the second. She passed her son over to her husband, and stood up to exit the room, she felt Emma's eyes watching her. "I'm just going to get the thermometer, sweetheart, I'll be back in a minute." Emma wasn't looking outwardly overly anxious, but Mary Margret's maternal instincts meant, she understood that she was in fact slightly anxious; thought Mary Margret didn't understand why exactly.

"How are you feeling kiddo?" David asked as Neal pushed himself off of his lap.

"I'm okay." Emma repeated habitually. The look on David's face told her that her answer clearly wasn't going to cut it. "It hurts." She admitted, her voice was sad, and slightly self-pitying.

"What hurts?" David asked softly, he stroked his thumb across her knuckles.

"My chest and my throat."

David frowned. He looked at the time on the clock on the table, it was only ten, too early for Emma to have any more medicine. He rubbed the top of her arm sympathetically. She looked up into his eyes, her own eyes were wide, and she looked absolutely miserable; from feeling ill and from everything which had happened with Henry. David wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to him. "I'm sorry you're feeling like this, kiddo." He wished that her medicines would hurry up and start to work on making her better, he was sure that Whale would say that she wasn't much better tomorrow, all they could do was keep giving her the medicine and wait for her to get better through rest.

Neal saw his sister and father hugging and pushed himself up to toddle back over to them, he wrapped his arms around his sister's neck. "Hiya Emmy."

"Hey squirt." Emma forced out she wrapped her arm, the one which wasn't pressed against David, around Neal.

David looked down at his children love; He heard an almost indecipherable squeak of the floorboard, and looked up to see Mary Margret, staring at their children with the same expression. He gave her a smile, when she saw it, she fully walked into the room.

Mary Margret saw Emma give her a weak smile as she sat on the bed. "Here, sweetie, let's get your temperature." She couldn't stop herself from, when Emma placed the thermometer in her mouth, reaching to feel the temperature of Emma's forehead. She shot a worried look at David, once again, not that she had expected the heat to have changed from the time she had last felt it.

David reached for his wife's hand and squeezed it once. He watched her smile, obviously he had guessed her thoughts correctly. He stared into the sea of her green eyes for a few seconds, he smiled tenderly at her, but then he turned his head slightly to nod at the time on the clock; they had just under half an hour before they had to leave to meet with the others to discuss the plans for the next day.

Mary Margret sighed, she wanted to stay here, in her home with her husband and her children; especially considering Emma was ill and Neal was so clearly in danger.

"You could stay here, you know, if you want." David told her lovingly.

She noticed Emma's eyes on them, captivated in their conversation, but she kept her eyes on her husband. "No, I should go too, it shouldn't take too long. And we need to speak to Leroy and see if he's found the man he was looking for."

"Are you sure?" he asked, despite knowing that he wouldn't be able to change her mind. "I can do that by myself."

Mary Margret nodded. "Yes, we do things together, as a team." She squeezed his hand once more, then turned to Emma who was still watching them, though now she was more confused, almost demanding an explanation.

"Your father and I have to go to the station to meet with some of the others who are helping tomorrow." Mary Margret told her gently. "We shouldn't be gone long."

Emma looked saddened at this, but she nodded her understanding, she looked down again as she waited for the thermometer to beep.

When it did, Mary Margret read off Emma's temperature, there was only a little downward change of point-two, yet Emma was still observably shivering.

"We have to get going, Ems." Mary Margret told her, her voice was tinged with apologetic sadness. "You should get some sleep while we're gone."

Emma nodded once, pulled away from her father's now slackened grip, and started to scoot to the edge of the bed.

"Hey," David put his hand on her shoulder to stop her, an amused smile played on his lips, "I think your mom meant you should rest in our bed, Em."

"I go too." Neal shouted, before Emma could argue her way onto the couch, as he had just realised that his mother and father were planning on going out, again.

"No, buddy, you stay here with Granny." David smiled.

"No." Neal jutted his lip out.

"Neal, sweetie, can you look after Emmy for mommy and daddy?" Mary Margret asked, she put on a slightly needy voice so Neal would agree.

"'kay Mommy." He agreed graciously.

"It'll be better for you than on the couch," Mary Margret finally answered Emma's slightly doubtful look matter-of-factly, "and comfier". She moved of the bed and held her arms open for Neal, who stood on the bed, and bounced into them. "We'll be back in time for you to have your next dose of medicine." She promised.

"Here you go." David lifted up the duvet for Emma to climb under, as she moved her blankets feel from her shoulders which Mary Margret picked up with her spare hand, once David had pulled the duvet back over Emma, then he was passed the blankets to tuck around her. "Get some rest, kiddo, we'll be back before you even wake up." He ducked his head to press a kiss onto her forehead.

Mary Margret's hand brushed Emma's hair. "Tell Granny if you need anything, and if she needs to she can ring us." She said before leaving the room.

As Emma's eyes drifted shut, her mind continued to race, she burrowed further under the blankets once she heard the front door close after her parents, successfully becoming marginally warmer, and blocking out the low murmurs of noise in the loft. Despite her parent's insistence that it was not her fault, she felt guilt over Henry being put in harm's way, after all he had done so to see _her_ after _she_ had text him earlier that morning. She was powerless to feeling the same isolation she had felt in her dream. She fell into an uneasy sleep.

*OUAT*

Luckily Fredrick had turned up, on orders from Kathryn no doubt, to help the dwarves out in transporting the prisoners to the hospital wing. Unfortunately, however, Leroy and the other dwarves had been unsuccessful in finding the man. The manager told them that he had called in sick that week, he had recently been driving one of the trucks from the shop, and had it at his house; they hadn't needed it that week so hadn't bothered him. However when the dwarves searched the man's apartment they found no sign of him or his missing truck; according to Leroy it looked like he had simply woke up one day and left. About an hour and a half after they had left the loft, David and Mary Margret returned home, greeted by their son who ran to them with open arms.

Granny had kindly made the family some soup, ready to be reheated for lunch, which Emma insisted on eating with the rest of her family at the table. Before they could even begin their usual battle to get Emma to take her steroid medicine Mary Margret offered her a proposal; if she took the medicine without complaint, they would tell her every last detail of their plan for the next day, Emma quickly took her medicine. They told her their fairly simple plan, which she couldn't find a fault in. To all who didn't know of the plan, or of George, it would look like The mother and baby's group was having a special day where the fathers were there too; Ruby would be joining Mary Margret and Neil as it was now public knowledge that Emma was home sick, all would rightly presume, that David was looking after her. Once the group had clocked sight of George, who was sure to be there due to his own smug ego, the children would be raced inside of Granny's in to be protected by the fairies. Emma then told them about the connections she and Henry had made to the files and George's story, and of Robert's story, they all were slightly relieved to know that some of George's followers may not have been involved by their own volition.

Before Mary Margret or David could persuade Emma to go rest again in their bed, she moved to the couch. David washed up the dishes while Mary Margret went to call Ruby, who was running Granny's that morning, to let her know what had transpired in the meeting she could not attend. David kept a close eye on Emma and Neal as he washed up, Neal was playing with his toys, but every so often he would flit back to the couch to tell Emma what he was doing, or to feel Emma's forehead like he had seen his parents doing: David smiled at the sight of his son, an old restless nerve set into his stomach at the thought of his son being in danger, he felt a renewed empathy to when Regina was ready to search the entire town for George earlier that morning. But David knew he couldn't do that, so he clenched and unclenched his fist, then moved to join his children in the living room.

As soon as he sat next to Emma on the couch, she moved herself so she was leaning with her head on his chest, he wrapped his arm around her and felt for her temperature; he was relieved to feel that it was now slightly cooler. Emma soon became so relaxed, that she leaned on David even more, leading him so believe she was asleep. It seemed that Neal had also become tired too, as he pulled himself onto the couch with his soft dragon toy, and grabbed his father's shirt to help him gain his balance as he climbed himself onto his lap. David stroked Neal's hand until the boy fell asleep. David pressed a kiss into the dark curls, in the new silence he was left to the thoughts and worries which had plagued his mind not long before, when he was washing up.

"Neal's going to be okay," Emma's voice was uncharacteristically small, "isn't he?"

David only just refrained from jumping at the sound of her voice, but her words and tone sobered him immediately. "Of course he is, kiddo." he assured her, and himself, in the most confident voice he could manage. "Your mom will look after him, we both will, we won't let George get him: I promise." He told her with great conviction.

David's words put his own mind at rest for a while, clearly the words had the same effect on Emma, as she grew quiet and eventually fell asleep leaning against him.

When Mary Margret walked in to see her husband sat with their two children asleep, cuddled up to him, she immediately took a photograph on her phone.

*OUAT*

David and Mary Margret lay in bed, she was half draped on him with her head on his chest, he stroked his hand up and down her back; they led listening to their son's gentle snoring. David felt the tension in Mary Margret's body build the longer they led listening to their son's breathing. David gently scratched his wife's back and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "You're worried." He stated quietly.

"How did you know?" She asked dodging giving him an explanation.

"I know you." He told her simply, his words full of love. "It's going to be okay."

"We don't know that." Mary Margret argued. "It's not like George likes to play by the rules; he could have anything planned."

"You're right we don't. But we can hope, and trust, we will win this because we are in the right." He continued to scratch lightly at her back. "That's why I won't be with you. I would much rather go with you, but my not being there will throw George off, he won't be expecting you to know he's there or to have a plan."

"I know… but I still…" she trailed off.

"I know, I'm scared of this too," David admitted quietly, "but we can't let that shake us. And if you need me, I'll be ready to go, all you need is for someone to contact me."

Mary Margret was so quiet that David thought she had simply fallen asleep, but much like Emma did earlier, she spoke making him jerk slightly.

"That's why you're my hero." Her voice was slow and quiet with sleep.

"And you mine." He responded.

The two fell into an uneasy sleep, their bodies nestled together under the piles of blankets, which protected them from the cold of the oncoming storm.


	19. Chapter 19

_Emma's heart was pounding, fast, her feet matched the pace on the ground. She was running. As she ran, trees passed aside her, she was in the forest; she recognised the forest a Storybrooke, but that wasn't the thing that was worrying her, although she couldn't see it, something was chasing her. Not just chasing, hunting. Suddenly, she stopped. She caught sight of what she thought was an animals eye, green of the iris was as green as the thick, lush, woods in which she ran… But around the green Emma noticed a ring of red, red as rich as blood… Emma has seen that eye before but she couldn't think where. In an instant the eye was gone. But she could still feel it watching her, her instincts kicked in, and she continued to run. She could feel herself getting out of breath, her heart was beating painfully in her chest, but she continued even as the rain poured._

_The ground was becoming slippery and she had to stop herself from falling numerous times. She reached the edge of the woods, and came to a clearing, as she ran through it she kept glancing around, trying to catch sight of the monster which was pursuing her. Her foot hit something solid, she felt herself tripping, flying through the air, until she landed, her breath was knocked out of her as she hit the solid cold ground._

_The wind started to pick up. She could hear a voice mixed in with the wind, a vicious hiss, twirling in the cold air._

' _It's your fault. All your fault.'_

_With great effort Emma pulled her head from the ground she could feel mud caking her face, as she looked up granite met her eyes. A gravestone._

_She stumbled her feet. Her eyes skimmed the wording multiple times, but it still didn't make sense to her, because the grave said Neal; but this couldn't be Neal's grave, Neal's grave didn't look like that._

_But what if… No… It couldn't be._

_The only way it would make sense, would be if it was a different Neal, the only Neal in Storybrooke was…_

_But it couldn't be his. The thought itself was inconceivable. It couldn't be her baby brother._

_She suddenly became aware of a gravestone next to Neal's. She could have sworn it had not been there before, but at the same time, she didn't remember it appearing. Another name was on this one._

_David._

_In the time it took her to read it another gravestone had grown up from the mud._

_Snow White._

_Then another._

_Henry._

_A sea of gravestones. Enough for each and every person in the town._

_Sobs raked through her body. When she opened her mouth a primal scream came out. The sound of desperation, and the glimpse into her insurmountable pain._

*OUAT*

She woke up, gasping for breath, she expected to hear her own screaming, but all she could hear was the sound of her quick breathing. With her hands still shaking, she pushed herself out of the bed she scrambled towards where the monitor had been left, she pressed the button, and the green lights faded to black. The last thing her parents needed was to lose sleep over her having a bad dream the night before they had to execute their plans to George. She fell back onto her bed, and curled herself into a ball, the heels of her hands pushed into her eyes as if she was trying to force out the images which still lay in her head.

She was oblivious to the cold as she snuck down the stairs. Although she was busy, getting lost in her own thoughts, she was careful to miss the one creaking step, and her descent to the kitchen. Before she what over however she carefully made her way towards her parents' room. She knew that if she pulled back the curtain her parents would quickly wake up. They would demand to know what was wrong, hell, they would probably make it all better. But she couldn't bring herself to do it. She couldn't be that selfish. So instead, she strained her ears, picking out each one of her family members distinct breathing. Once she was satisfied that all her father, mother, and brother, were okay she walked back over to the kitchen.

She soundlessly rooted through the kitchen cupboards until she found she was looking for. A giant thermos, one which her parents often took on picnics, or was shared by she and David while they were on stakeouts. She quickly set about making enough coffee to fill it. As she climbed back up the stairs, with the full thermos, she thanked her lucky stars that her parents hadn't woken up due to the noise or the smell of the freshly brewed coffee.

The coffee was bitterer than Emma remembered despite the excessive amount of sugar and milk she had poured into it. She paused after one sip, to take her inhaler again, although she taken it before she's gone downstairs she could tell that she needed it again – her trip up and down the stairs had exhausted her, but the memory of the dream was enough to make her not want to sleep ever again. As she drank her coffee, she thought about what Henry had told her, about his solution for bad dreams. With the thermos still cradled in her hands, she walked over to her closet and rooted through until she found a note book she had meant to take to the station, but never had.

She started to write down her dreams, the ones she has had while in the hospital to the one which was currently seared into her brain, the words flowed out of her as she added details from her real-life which lent context to the dreams and why they had affected her so much. As the pages began to fill up, Emma felt her guilt growing, after all she had told her parents that if she had any she would tell them. But she silenced the guilt by reminding herself that they had more important things to worry about, and although they felt it was the job she _was_ thirty, and they had more important things to worry about like protecting Neal; rather than what they felt was their obligation to waking up with her when she couldn't sleep. Neal was in danger, he had the protected, he had to be priority. Anyway, if she placed the notebook in a place where her parents would look straightaway should they go looking for it, she told herself, she wasn't really hiding it; she wasn't really lying to them. When she finished writing it, she placed the notebook in her bedside drawer, where her mother knew that she hid her blanket and other important things when she felt the need to.

She finally became aware of the freezing cold so she quickly paled on a thick jumper, wrapped several blankets around her, grabbed the book her father had been reading her in hospital, then wiggled beneath her duvet to read. Despite her efforts at self-distraction the words from her dream echoed in the back of her mind.

*OUAT*

David awoke to feel something laying heavily across his chest. He fought to open his eyes against the sleep that attempted to glue them together, when he finally availed he looked down to see his wife wrapped in is arms as she lay across his chest. They both must have been in a deep sleep, which surprised David as he had expected to be lying awake for at least half of the night. David shifted slightly as he attempted to stretch his muscles to help wake himself up. But as he did some Mary Margaret stirred, she stretched herself, then opened her green eyes to stare into his blue ones.

"Mornin'" she purred, her head rested once more on his chest.

David kept her locked in his arms, clearly both were unwilling to start the day, not just yet at least." Good morning," he said," I think slept better then we thought we would."

"Hmm," Mary Margaret looked around the clock it was still early morning, barely six o'clock, but still later than she thought she would sleep," any sounds from Emma?" She asked him.

David shook his head, "Not a peep." he told her but he cast a suspicious eye towards the monitor in their room. The couple strained their ears in an attempt to hear anything. But all they got was radio silence. David looked down worriedly at his wife.

"Go check on her, please, I'm sure she's just asleep, but…"She trailed off.

David nodded as his wife lifted herself up so he could move from beneath her, he didn't trust George, and frankly wouldn't put it past him to a taken Emma. Though he desperately hoped that he and Mary Margaret was simply overreacting.

*OUAT*

David raced up the stairs towards Emma's room, though he managed to keep his footsteps as light as possible, so if Emma was asleep she would stay so. Relief flooded through him when he saw Emma's sleeping figure he walked over to her and felt her head, he could feel her head burning beneath his hand but he didn't think that she was as hot as she had been the day before. He couldn't resist dropping a kiss onto her temple. He stood from where he was crouched and started towards the monitor, he could hear Emma's wheezing filling the room so he wasn't sure why he and Mary Margaret hadn't heard it from down the stairs.

Emma squinted open her eyes when she heard her dad moving from beside her, she hoped he hadn't smelt the coffee which was long since gone or that he had caught sight of the thermos hidden beneath her bed. She saw him heading towards a monitor and decided that she wasn't sure which was worse, him possibly finding out that she had drunk coffee when she wasn't meant to, or that she had turned the monitor off when he and her mother were using it to make sure she was okay. "Dad." She called weakly, she hadn't meant for it to sound so meek, but she figured it would only play to her advantage.

David turned and walked back over to her bed. "Sorry, kiddo, did I wake you?" he asked her as he gently sat at her side.

Emma shrugged, he hadn't, of course, she had simply been faking it, but if she said he hadn't he would ask what had.

David smiled down at her, she looked extremely sleepy, and although her voice was sounding better than the day before it was still bad, she was pale, and shivering: in short she looked like hell. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine." Emma said quickly.

"No you're not." David raised his eyebrow.

"I am." Emma persisted.

"Nope," David said warningly, "now, do you want to tell me the truth?"

Emma rolled her eyes at him, which didn't seem to impress him much, she pushed herself to sit up against the headboard so he was no longer looking down at her. She had to admit, it was a slight relief to see him there, compared to the sight in her dream… "My chest kinda hurts."

"How much?" he asked kindly.

"Just a little."

"That means a lot." David smirked at his daughter's stubbornness. He took hold of her hand and stroked his thumb across her knuckles. "You should get some rest today, before we have to go to your appointment." He told her worriedly.

Emma pulled a face at the mention of the doctors. "Can't we reschedule?"

David shook his head. "I'm not a fan of the trips there either, and I'm not exactly Whale's biggest fan," he joked, "but we still have to go."

"But-"

"Uh uh," David shook his head again, "your health is important to us." He said with finality. "Now, why don't you get some sleep, it's still early." He suggested, though he knew she would need some medicine soon.

Emma shook her head determinedly, she still had the dream on replay in her head, and she had only seen her dad; she wanted to see her mom before she went to try capture George. "I wanna see… I wanna go downstairs."

David looked at her as he put his thoughts together. "You know your mom is going to be okay, right? By this afternoon she'll be right back to fussing over you until it annoys you, you won't have anything else to distract her from you." He joked, but found Emma's face hadn't changed. "Both her and Neal they're going to be safe; I promise you."

Emma gave him a small nod, but she couldn't keep the sight of her mother's and brother's gravestones from her head, so the worried look stayed on her face.

David squeezed her hand. "Come on, let's see if we can rustle up some food." He smiled at her.

Emma looked surprised at her father giving up so easily, but she didn't dare say anything. Instead she allowed him to help her up out of the bed, she kept one of the blankets around her shoulders, her baby blanket was hidden beneath it her old habit of running her fingers across the ribbon had been helping her control her worrying slightly since George had been on the loose.

*OUAT*

Neal woke up as soon as David had left the room, Mary Margret went about getting him some milk before she had to make his breakfast, the longer David spent up in Emma's room the more relaxed she became that Emma was safe, though she did find herself become curious as to why he was there for so long. She sat on the couch with Neal, and promised herself that if David wasn't back down by the time Neal finished his bottle she would go in search of him. Just before Neal had finished it, however, she heard footsteps coming down the stairs. She smiled when she saw her husband, but the smile dropped when she saw Emma following him, it was replaced with a concerned frown. When she saw how ill Emma looked she sent David a harsh look, Emma needed to be in bed, not traipsing around the loft. He sent her a sheepish look back as he led Emma over to the couch.

"Are you okay, Emma?" she asked as her daughter sat beside her.

Emma nodded, but didn't speak, she was breathless from walking down the stairs. She was passed one of her blue inhalers from her father, who rooted it out from one of the million boxes around the apartment.

David watched her take it, then noticed Mary Margret glaring at him, he rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm going to go get the thermometer." He announced.

"I'll be back in a minute, sweetie." Mary Margret told Emma as soon as David was out of her sight.

"David, why is she down here? She should be in bed, she looks terrible!" Mary Margret hissed as she walked into the kitchen. When Neal saw his father he held his arms out towards him.

David sighed. He placed down thermometer, walked over to his wife and son, and held his arms up for a son to come over to him. "I know," David said, "I would rather she was in bed, too. But when I try to get to go back to sleep… She's worried about you, and Neal of course, but mainly you." He smiled down at his son who was now in his arms.

"You are too, I can tell you are, I know you I know that you're worried. " Mary Margaret accused, but her expression was loving.

David smirked, there was a twinkle in his eye as he spoke. "You're right, I am, a little. But, I know that you'll be fine, after all you're Snow frigging White. But to Emma, even though she knows who you are, before you're an amazing warrior princess… " He trailed off.

"I'm her mom. " Mary Margaret realised. She sent worried look back over to the living room.

"Here, I think Em needs her mom, I'm sure you will be able to convince her that you'll be okay better than I could. "David passed the thermometer over to his wife. "Plus," he whispered, "you have to admit, she looks rather adorable half asleep with blankets wrapped around her."

Mary Margret smiled almost to herself. "She does. She reminds me of Neal, or Neal of her, especially when he's ill or sleepy."

"Yes!" David smiled. "I'm sure she's harder work when she's ill than he is though." He smirked.

– – –

Mary Margaret walked back over to her daughter, she held out the thermometer to the younger woman, she waited for Emma to put it in her mouth, before she took a seat next to her. "You know, everything is going to be okay, we've taken down George before, were going to be able to do it again. And this time he doesn't have a kingdom, or an army, behind him; this time he has a couple of handfuls of followers, we will beat him". She knew that Emma wouldn't be able to answer while she had the thermometer in her mouth, which was why Mary Margaret decided to say it then, Emma needed a little time for it to sink in.

Before the thermometer beeped David and Neal walked back into the room David had three mugs in one hand and the other was holding onto Neal who was sat on his hip. David placed the mugs onto the coffee table, then he picked up Emma's mug and handed it to her, she looked at him confused, but David ignored her. He passed Mary Margaret her mug of tea and received another confused look from his wife. "Her throat still sounds like it hurts, so I made her some honey and lemon tea. " He heard the thermometer beep.

"That was a good idea. " Mary Margaret praised him as she held her hand open for Emma to pass the thermometer over to her.

"I have those every now and again. " David teased.

Mary Margaret saw Emma rolling her eyes at David's joke. "Emma, you should have told us that your throat was still sore. " She chastised, she finally read the temperature then showed it to David.

"Thanks a lot, traitor. " Emma muttered at her father.

David just chuckled. " Well, Prince Neal and 'the traitor' are going to go get us all some breakfast ready, as we're all awake." He sent a knowing look to his wife, before he picked his coffee up again and headed back to the kitchen, with Neal in tow.

"So," Mary Margret took a sip of her drink, "you're up early."

Emma just shrugged once again.

" _Is_ it because you're worried?" Mary Margret continued to probe.

"I'm not worried." Emma brushed off unconvincingly.

"Emma." She watched her daughter's shoulders fall, clearly she was no longer trying to fight what Mary Margret and David knew was the truth, but that didn't mean she would say the words. "It's okay to be worried, Em. I know I am, so is your father, it's only natural. If there's one thing our family's good at besides finding each other, it's worrying about each other." She joked. "But try not to worry too much, it's all going to be okay."

Emma nodded, but still felt a massive sense of foreboding, though she hoped she was wrong.

Mary Margret saw how scared Emma looked and brought her in for a hug.

David kept hold of Neal until it was time to go. He understood why the plan was how it was, if George saw him there before they could spot him, they wouldn't have an opportunity to catch George; but that didn't mean he didn't wish he was there to help.

Mary Margret walked over to him from where she had made Emma lay down on the couch, over to her husband and son, she watched David press a kiss into their son's dark curls.

"Hey," She said quietly, "we'll see you later. It's just one hour."

"I know." David smiled and stole a kiss from her. "Regina's still going to keep him in her vault until tomorrow, isn't she?"

"Yeah," she smiled at her husband's worry, "it'll be impossible for him to escape from there."

"That's good, especially if there is a storm, I don't want there to be another chance of him escaping."

"You know there is something you should be worried about…" Mary Margret put on a worried face.

"What? What's wrong?" David's eyes opened wide in alarm.

"We have to try and get Emma to the doctors later." She smirked then pressed another kiss to his lips.

David chuckled. "Don't remind me, she's already tried to convince me to reschedule."

Mary Margret rolled her eyes but shared a look of worry about their daughter. "We'll sort George out, then we'll sort Emma out, then by tonight we'll all be curled up watching a film, and we'll all be safe." She said decisively as she tried to push her worry down.

David smiled at his wife's positive outlook. "We will." He led her to the door. "Have fun with mommy and seeing your friends buddy." David told his son excitedly, he hoped Neal wouldn't pick up on the tense atmosphere. He pressed a kiss to his son's head, then kissed his wife on the lips. "I'll see you soon," he told her, "ring or text me if you need me."

*OUAT*

Ruby smiled as she walked towards the inn, she pulled her phone out to text Skye, Granny had reminded her about the predicted storm later that day, so she thought it would only be pertinent to pass on the warning to the barmaid. She received a quick, slightly flirty, text in response and she quickly fired one back. She placed her phone into her pocket.

She felt someone knock into her, she immediately righted herself, ready to fight should it be one of George's men. But she came face to face with a woman, who looked kind of frightened of her, she must have looked rather angry.

"I'm sorry I-"

"It's okay, it was might fault too." Ruby replied quickly, she had already spotted Mary Margret holding Neal, and she wanted to make sure everything was in place.

They hung outside of the inn chatting casually as they waited for the others to arrive, the fairies were already waiting inside of the building ready to watch the babies and anyone else who needed to be protected. Leroy and the rest of the dwarves were 'fixing' the roof, and a few of Robin's Merry Men were hidden in the trees around the men. Regina had already set up a spell to alert her as soon as George stepped onto the property line, at which point she would appear.

Eventually the others started to turn up, including Aurora and Philip, when Mary Margret saw Philip she realised that he had a taser partially hidden, they were soon joined by the last couple, Sean and Ashley who Mary Margret could only assume was hiding a taser also.

But there was still no sign of George and his men.

Ruby looked around anxiously.

"They could turn up anytime within this hour." Mary Margret reminded her. "Come on, let's get inside so we can get all the babies to safety."

The attendees started to filter inside, just as rain started to pour, Mary Margret and Ruby bringing up the end of the line.

As they walked towards the front door, Ruby looked around anxiously still. She put her hand in her pocket ready to pull out her phone.

*OUAT*

David paced around the loft, he was straightening up things in the rooms as he did so, trying desperately to remain busy. However every time Emma tried to stand up to do the same, he would force her to sit back down, he had already had to threaten to put her medicine in her drink to get her to take it and both of their nerves were making them snappy. David finally sat on the chair next to the couch, having done everything he could think of, he was frustrated to see that only ten minutes had passed and Mary Margret wouldn't be getting home for another hour and a half. He picked up his phone, turning the screen on and off every couple of seconds as he hoped for a text, but none came; which he supposed ultimately was a good sign. He saw that Emma was still glaring out of the window, he knew that he shouldn't be taking out his anger on her, but he was so worried about all the members of his family that he couldn't help it. He took deep breaths to attempt to calm down.

Emma stared out of the raindrop-stained window, almost willing her mother's car to appear, as she did so she rubbed the cuff on her wrist; if only it wasn't on her, then she would be able to puff to her mother and help out. She frowned and turned back around to face the room, if she didn't have magic, she'd have to do it the old fashioned way. She stood up and started to walk towards the stairs, she had to hold on to things as she walked, her asthma was making her head spin.

David looked up as soon as Emma took her first steps, he waited to see if she turned in the direction of the bathroom, when she didn't he stood up and followed her. "Emma," he called from a couple of steps behind her making her stop, "where are you going?" he tried to remain cool, she might just want to get something.

Emma span round and crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm going to get my cell phone and get dressed, I'm going to help mom, you can't stop me."

David narrowed his eyes. "Actually I can. You're not going. Get back to the couch, now."

Emma crossed his arms around his chest tighter still, her chest screamed in protest.

David took her arm, firmly but not harsh enough to hurt her, and pulled her back over to the couch. When they got there, he stood in front of her, blocking her way to get to the rest of the loft. "Sit down." He said dangerously quietly. Emma didn't budge, though he could see her starting to look unsure of her decisions, David placed his hands on her shoulders and applied gentle pressure to make her sit back down. David sat on the coffee table in front of her.

Emma started to pick at her hands, all she wanted to do was help, if she hadn't of ignored being ill she might have been better by now; she could be helping. Hell, if she hadn't of been ill she and David might have already found George; he'd be gone, they would have found Robert and stopped him from giving anyone nightmares, she would be nightmare free, and Neal would be safe. As she thought, her breathing quickened, and her hands twisted faster and faster in her lap.

David carefully took one of Emma's hands in his own, then the other, he squeezed them to get her attention, he could practically feel them shaking in his hands; though he was sure that was partially because she was feeling cold as well as what could only be described as the start of a panic attack. "Em." David whispered. "Take some breaths. In and out." He smiled when her breathing started to slow, but he was still too scared to move from in front of her, however, he was terrified that she would try to go again. "Emma, I need you to listen to me. You're still ill, so you won't be leaving this apartment, not until your mother and I take you to your doctor's appointment this afternoon, which we won't be leaving your side; before, during, or after. Then you will be coming back home, and not leaving until we say so, you are too ill." He stressed. "Do you understand me?"

Emma nodded slowly, but didn't speak, guilt still filled her. Part of her understood his words, and that her parents were just worried about her, but part of her was sure that they needed to be by her side as they didn't trust her. What was worrying her was which part her was winning.

David wrapped her blankets back around her, he hid a smile at the sight of Emma's baby blanket; it was rather endearing to see she had it with her whenever she was ill. He sat back down and frowned, he took back hold of Emma's hands. "Kiddo," he said quietly, he spoke as if he was trying not to spook her like how one would talk to an injured animal, "what's going on?"

"Nothing" Emma brushed off. "Nothing's going on."

"I think there is, princess," he said just as gently, "something's wrong. You've been acting differently for a while now, I think something's really worried you, I'm worried about you, so is your mom. Talk to me, kiddo, please tell me what's wrong."

Emma took a breath in, part of her was fighting to tell him everything; about the dreams, that they've made her terrified, that they might come true. She opened her mouth to speak, she wasn't sure what would come out, the truth or another lie to hide everything.

Then David's phone made a noise.

David immediately let go of Emma's hands. "Hold that thought." He told her as he stood up to grab his phone from the arm of the chair he was previously sat in.

Ruby.

**Need help. Come right now. I'll send someone to watch Emma. Now.**

The unusually clipped response made David's heart speed up with worry. David grabbed his shoes and pulled them on as quickly as possible. "Em, I need to go help your mom, stay here." He said as he pulled on his holster.

Emma's eyes widened. "What? What's happened? I can help."

"No you can't. We don't need you. We don't need your help." David snapped, he chastised himself as he grabbed his sword and pulled on his jacket, but he didn't have time to apologise. "Just... just stay here. Ruby's sending someone to come and watch you, I don't care if you don't think you need someone they're coming, just stay put." He stopped for a second as he reached the door, there was part of him, a feeling in the pit of his stomach, which warned him not to leave her; but he could almost feel his phone burning through his pocket. "I'll be back soon. I love you."

*OUAT*

David sped towards the inn in his truck, most people must have recognised either the vehicle or him inside it, so moved out of the way as he weaved between the traffic. The wipers were on the highest setting as the rain poured down.

Even going as fast as he possibly could, it still took him fifteen minutes to get to the inn. He parked where his truck wouldn't be seen by George's men, then he stalked towards the building, his sword in his hand. He could see his wife and son through the window in the front, they seemed to be safe, but he picked his way to the back of the building; if George was in the back David would be able to take him by surprise.

The building was fairly quiet, as David walked through it, scouring each room as he walked down the main hall; there was still no sign of George and his men. He finally reached the room where the group was held. George had to be in here.

He pulled open the door. His sword raised.

He was met with an arrow pointed at his heart.

But it wasn't George. Or any of his men.

It was Mary Margret.

He quickly lowered his sword. He noticed that everyone else had lowered their weapons which were pointed towards him too, and luckily for him that included Mary Margret, he knew if she had let that arrow loose he would be a goner. He frowned looking around. "Where is he? Where are they?"

"David, what are you talking about? Where's who? Neal?"

"No… Well, yes…" he carried on looking around. His wife was acting way too calm, especially if Neal had been taken, had George done something to her?

"Neal's with the fairies in the other room, we heard a noise… which I'm guessing was you now." Everyone else moved back from the door to give Mary Margret and David some privacy. "David I thought we agreed on the plan."

David was thoroughly confused now. " _Where's George_?" he stressed.

Mary Margret frowned "He's not turned up yet."

"But… But Ruby sent me a text." David looked towards the lady who just looked as confused as his wife did.

"No, I didn't." She said adamantly.

"But I got this." David pulled out his phone and showed it to Mary Margret.

"Ruby can't have sent this."

"But I got it."

"No, what Mary means is I _can't_ have sent that text, I dropped my phone outside earlier." Ruby explained as she walked over to her friends. "I haven't had a chance to go grab it yet."

"When was the last time you saw your phone?" David asked, he finally sheathed his sword.

"I put it into my pocket before I saw Mary… but this lady bumped into me…"

"But why would someone send that text?" David's brow furrowed even more.

"Wait. David that text said 'Ruby' was sending someone to stay with Emma…" Mary Margret said, tightening her grip on her bow.

"Emma!" David realised.

"I'll watch Neal, you two go." Ruby shouted.

The two flew out of the room. Mary Margret couldn't help but wish that Regina was there, she would have been able to get them back to the loft within a heartbeat.

*OUAT*

Emma heard her father lock the door, then watched as his truck sped away, she pulled herself up from the couch her blankets fell down to the floor as she did so. She looked down either side for a pair of shoes to wear; normally she left some in the living room her parents were always telling her not to leave them lying around, it drove her mother in particular mad. Though she suspected that her mother will be angrier when she appeared at the inn, but it would be worth it, her father had to be wrong; they needed her, right?

The door smashed open.

King George sauntered in, with the man with the scar, Edward, standing by his side.

Emma's mouth fell open and her spine straightened. Her fists curled at her side. Panic filled her, though she would never admit it, she struggled to maintain her breathing. She wanted her parents to be there, she felt defenceless, like a child who just _needed_ their parents.

"I heard my granddaughter was ill," George said breaking the silence, "I thought I should visit her."

Emma's fist curled even tighter. "I'm not your granddaughter."

"Of course you are." He gave her a smile which made her skin crawl.

"My dad isn't your son."

"He may not be, but he and James shared the same DNA, James was my son; that makes you still my granddaughter."

Emma just glowered at him.

Edward started to wander around the loft.

"I see that the Shepherd and his wife left you all alone… and defenceless." He taunted.

Emma rose the bait, she stepped around the coffee table and towards her, she stood on the fallen blankets. "I'm not defenceless."

"Really?" he frowned looking around. "Well, no one else is here… and you're wearing that cuff."

Emma tried to ignore him, and the fact that he spoke the truth, she crossed her arms over her chest. "What do you and your… well I would call him your best friend, but I'm pretty sure you'd have to pay someone to be friends with you… what do you want?" she asked breathlessly.

"I just wanted to show you what I'm going to do to your family." George sneered. "Perhaps if you had been there, they would have had a chance."  
He pulled out a phone and held it up so Emma could see it. In front of the camera were two men, but through the crack she could see David's truck, the footage zoomed in, and through the window she could see her mother and brother.  
"There's more men behind the camera, of course. More than your parents will be able to take care of, especially without magic… perhaps if you had been there you'd be able to help them… so really… it's all your fault."

Emma's face paled and she leaned against the wall, her energy was completely spent, but she thought to stay upright. "Leave them alone." Emma didn't notice Edward walking towards her, her gaze was focused solely on George and his phone.

"I'm not sure whether to take your brother as my heir or not, not yet, perhaps I'll match you with another royal." He goaded.

Emma's stomachs did flips, she couldn't even think about her fear for herself at that moment, no, she was completely focused on her family; she had to find a way to save them, to tell Regina or someone, _anyone_. She watched George nod but she had no idea why. That was when she felt a sharp pain on her head.

Edward lowered the statue he had used to knock Emma out. He placed it onto the table. A cut bled where he had hit her, and he had to suppress his anger and George for making him do it, and at himself for doing it.

"Pick her up." George ordered. "Put her in the trunk of the car. And be quick about it, we need to be long gone by the time David and Mary Margret turn up."

*OUAT*

David's truck skidded to a stop in front of the apartment, it rolled slightly on the soaked road, before David put the parking brake on. Mary Margret and David ran to the door, neither noticed the pouring rain, or the ominous rumble of thunder which spread through the sky.

As they raced up the flights of stairs Mary Margret felt as though she could kill Regina for giving her an apartment on the tip floor.

The door had clearly been forced open, they could only prey that Emma was safe, that she had fought them off.

"I'll check Emma's room." David told her as he ran up the stairs, it was the first words which either them had spoken since getting into the truck, they were both too scared to cast aspersions as to what might be happening.

Mary Margret saw no obvious signs, from where she stood in the doorway, of Emma in the kitchen, or living room. So she raced to hers and David's room, which was a long shot, one which did not pay off.

She strode out of it, her mind racing, the bathroom! She suddenly thought. Both doors were shut so Emma could be hiding in there. She tore into the room, unafraid of embarrassing Emma should she be in there. She'd rather Emma be embarrassed than the other theory. But there was no sign, it had been tidied up slightly since she had last been in it, but she was nighty percent sure that was David.

She stumbled into the living room. Every fibre of her being hoped David would come down the stairs with Emma following behind him. Or even for her phone to ring to say Emma had gone to find them. Or for Emma to have taken advantage of them not being home, and escaped to Granny's for a bit of normalcy and to be spoiled by Granny with junk food.

Mary Margret noticed Emma's blanket on the floor.

David's footsteps were heavy on the stairs as he descended. Heavy and slow, as if he was walking in a dream, or a nightmare. "She's not here." His voice was gruff and he tried to hide his hopelessness at losing their daughter; _yet again_. "Emma's gone." He repeated mainly to himself.

Mary Margret bent down and picked up her daughter's blanket, it was the only thing she could do, she saw crimson on it; blood. It was then she noticed the statue on the coffee table, also dripping blood. "David."

David walked over to her, his face was just as lost as hers, they were both so distraught they could barely think. "Yeah?"

"There's blood." She choked out.


	20. Chapter 20

By the time Ruby reached them, they were still in a state of shock, silent and both crouched on the ground in the living room; David was glaring at the statue on the coffee table while Mary Margret was staring at the white blanket Ruby recognised as Emma's from when Granny was first knitting it. Her appearance in the loft seemed to stir them slightly. "Emma?" she asked, though she knew there was no hope of her being here, not if this was how Mary Margret and David were acting.

David shook his head as he stood up. "George has got her." His voice was horse from crying and he could feel where the tears had dried themselves onto his skin.

"Where's Neal?" David asked worriedly, he didn't have the same dreading feeling in his stomach as he did earlier, but he couldn't bare even the thought of losing both of his children.

"I left him with Blue, and Granny said she would help if she needed it, he's safe." She reassured him. "What do we do?" Ruby asked, she wished that she could come up with some plan, but Mary Margret and David were better at coming up with them than she was; even when others would be hopeless or would give up.

Mary Margret stood up at her words, although her appearance was just as dishevelled as David's was, her voice was like steel. "We go speak to the prisoners, I'm willing to bet that Kyle knows where they are."

*OUAT*

They conducted their 'interview' with Kyle in psychiatric ward, in the hospital where he was being held, they had asked him multiple times where Emma was, where George was, but he sat in silence.

"You may as well tell us, George isn't coming for you, he doesn't care about you; this is your one chance to redeem yourself." Mary Margret snarled, she was getting bored of this game.

Kyle just continued to smirk at her but this time he winked at her also.

David slammed his fist against the wall. "Tell us where George's base is, now, or I will make you wish you told us." He threatened.

" _Would_ n't you like to know?" Kyle chuckled, his face cracked into an all-out smile, then he bit his lip to control his laughter.

David started towards him, but he was held back by Mary Margret's hard which was firmly holding onto his arm, judging from her tight grip she was just as angry as David; though she was better at masking it.

"We're just wasting time." She bit out frustrated, she turned to look at David instead of glowering at Kyle. "Believe me that as soon as we find George, you will be in for a whole world of pain, and not just from us." She promised as she pulled David from the room.

They clutched onto each other's hands like life lines as they walked back to the reception desk of the ward to collect their weapons. They had truly hoped that they would have been able to convince Kyle to tell them, but no amount of threats or promises would convince the man to speak; they were surprised he had even opened his mouth to mock their suffering. So now they were back to where they were at before, with no plan, but a stubborn hope which would help them continue the search.

"Mary Margret?"

Mary Margret turned around when she heard her name being called to see Whale staring at her and David confused.

"You're a bit early for Emma's appointment, is everything okay?" his eyes drifted to the weapons the pair were carrying. "Why…?"

"George took Emma." David told him, he felt his wife squeeze his hand, he knew that it pained her to hear those words just as much as it pained David to say them.

Whale's mouth fell open. "You need to get her back, soon."

"What do you _think_ we're trying to do?" David all but growled at the man. His free hand shook with anger as he tried to refrain from punching the other man.

Whale shook his head. "I meant medically." He explained. "I'm sure I don't need to tell you that her asthma will worsen without medication. Plus this weather," he nodded his head towards the window where the outside was darkened with thunderclouds and the rain was pouring unforgivingly, "won't be helping her recovery in the slightest."

Mary Margret and David looked at each other worriedly, they had figured it wouldn't be helping her, but to hear their suspicions confirmed by a doctor was another thing entirely. They needed to be out there; right now. It only made them angrier to have wasted their time with Kyle.

Whale saw their looks of fear. "I'll have everyone in the hospital keep an eye out for Emma, and for anyone acting odd." He received grateful looks back. "But if anyone could survive this, it'd be Emma. Plus she managed to secretly keep her asthma under control for years, I'm sure that she's come up with some ways which will help her now." He nodded his goodbye to the couple and started around the hospital to spread the word.

"He was surprisingly helpful." David remarked as they walked towards the exit.

"What if he's not the only one?" Mary Margret stopped, pulling David to a halt along with her.

"What do you mean?" David frowned. "That idiot henchman barely said a sentence to us."

"' _would_ n't you like to know'," Mary Margret echoed, "he stressed 'would'. He just couldn't resist trying to mock us. David I think I know where they are."

"Where?" David asked frantically he hadn't yet reached her wavelength.

"The woods."

*OUAT*

Emma felt something tap against her cheek, at first she thought it was just her little brother trying to wake her up so she just turned her head slightly, but when a sharp pain pulsed on her temple on the opposite side; her eyes shot open. She squinted slightly but luckily for her there was barely any light, still the little amount made her head pound. When her eyes focused she could finally see what had woken her; Edward. She pulled to moved away from him, if she took him by surprise she might be able to escape, though she wasn't sure how long she'd be able to outrun him. She tried to move but she was pulled back by something. She looked to her hand to see what was trapping it and saw a pair of handcuffs.  
"I don't know what you heard," Emma's unchained hand shot to her chest the energy from her poorly attempted at escaping had completely exhausted her and the pain in her chest was still there, "but I'm not into that." She glared at the scarred man, her eyes didn't leave him, as she nodded towards her arm which was chained by the handcuffs to a mental ring on the wall.

Edward ignored her sarcasm. "How is your head?" he asked her, though he was crouched near her, he had moved further away now she was awake. He was watching her movements very carefully.

Emma's hand flew to her temple, she could feel the cut on it, but it had clearly been cleaned as there was no dried blood; though she doubted that bit was on George's orders. "Untie me and I'll tell you."

A smile flickered across Edward's face. "I can't." he paused for a moment before asking her again how her head was.

Emma narrowed her eyes at him, for some who had just kidnapped her he seemed to be a little too sincere, and she was willing to bet money that it was he who had cleaned her head wound; though of course he had also been the one to cause it. "It hurts." Perhaps if she won his sympathy he would help her. "Where are my family?"

"Did you not hear what King George said about them?"

Emma felt her insides turn cold, well colder than they already were, her heart sank as she remembered George's words. "Of course I remember. I just don't believe it." She said slightly breathlessly.

"Good."

"So they are fine?"

"If you remember his words you might not be concussed." He told her.

"They aren't dead," Emma said panicked her chest was becoming tighter by the second, "they aren't." She tried to coach her breathing to slow down, but was rather unsuccessful, the air was cold and unforgiving on her lungs.

Edward reached into his coat pocket, he pulled out the blue inhaler he had pocketed from the apartment earlier, he uncapped it and handed it to her.

Emma felt relief wash over her when she saw the medicine. She took four puff, and clung onto the canister as she waited for her breathing to calm down slightly. Once it did she looked back at Edward, she truly didn't understand him, if seemed intent on helping her but then it was partially his fault she needed the help in the first place.

Edward slipped the inhaler out of her hand and back into his coat pocket. "Someone might search you." He explained gruffly.

"Help me." Emma practically begged.

"I _can't_." He repeated just as sincerely as he had said it the first time. He stood up ready to leave.

"Where am I?"

"You're in a basement." He looked down at Emma who was shivering even more than she had been when she was first placed in the small basement cell. He opened his mouth as if he were about to say something. But instead he turned abruptly on his heel, and walked out of the door, which he locked behind himself.

*OUAT*

The group had been searching the woods for hours, as they did so the storm persisted and worsened, the dark of the daytime had darkened further as night fell. Ruby could see two streams of light from David and Mary Margret's flashlights as they headed towards where she was waiting at the meeting spot on the Toll Bridge. Earlier on they had had almost everyone they trusted in Storybrooke out looking for Emma, but to no avail, Regina had even tried to cast a locator spell and Ruby had tried to catch hold of Emma's scent but the smell of the forest in the rain had wiped away any sign of her: it was like Emma had disappeared into thin air. There was only the three of them still out searching: Ruby had long since told the others to go home and get some rest, she had to shout over the thunder to the others even as they stood right next to her, they'd continue the search tomorrow hopefully by then the storm will have stopped.

Now she was tasked to get Mary Margret and David to call off the search for a few hours…

They walked over to her, their faces were weary, they were completely drenched and their clothes were caked in mud from where they had slipped and fell in the mud; and David's shirt had been torn on a branch. They didn't need to speak to let each other to know none of them had seen a sign.

"Maybe we should take a few hours break." Ruby suggested timidly.

"No, she's out here somewhere." Mary Margret swore though her voice was tired.

"We can't give up." David agreed.

"I'm not saying we should give up," Ruby calmed, "but we've been searching for hours and the storms only going to get worse. You're not going to be able to find Emma if you get sick, and even if you do find Emma you won't be able to take on George and his henchmen while sick. We'll all continue the search tomorrow."

David and Mary Margret exchanged a look, neither of them wanted to give up the search, but Ruby did kind of have a point.

"Plus," Ruby continued, "Neal needs to see you, he probably doesn't understand what's going on."

David and Mary Margret sighed in unison, they looked at each other then back at Ruby, and nodded.

-  
David carried Neal up the stairs, Mary Margret led the way up the stairs, illuminating the way as the storm had knocked the electric out.

"Shhh, it's okay, buddy." David soothed as Mary Margret fumbled to put the key in the new door Marcus had installed for them.

They finally got inside the loft, the light from the moon dimly lit the loft but it was only enough light to shed light on the coffee table, Mary Margret stood frozen as she stared at the statue on the coffee table. David swallowed, he forced himself to not run right back out of the door in search of Emma. He placed his hand on Mary Margret's back, drawing her attention to him, and their crying son in his arms. "I'll go find some candles and torches." He quickly set off to the closet in their bedroom.

Mary Margret held her son in her arms, she bounced him slightly to try and calm him, luckily he had already been fed so they wouldn't have to try find a way to feed him in the electric-less loft; Ruby was right, he obviously didn't know what was going on, but he knew something was different, while he'd normally be asleep he was awake and extremely winey which was understandable.

"Want Emmy." His bottom lip jutted out when he saw his father arrive back next to them but he was alone.

"She'll be home soon, sweetie." Mary Margret promised both him and herself.

"Want Emmy now." He repeated, this time he told his father.

"I know you do, buddy, we want her too." David ran his hand through Neal's black curls as the toddler sniffled. He then pressed a kiss to his wife's forehead. "Do you want me to get him settled and ready for bed while you ring Regina?" he offered, he remembered that they had promised her that they would keep she and Henry updated, and their grandson was probably still awake waiting for news.

"Please." Mary Margret passed Neal over to her husband then laid her hand on his chest. "We will find her, she'll be safe, we'll make sure of it." She received no answer David just gently kissed her on the lips.

*OUAT*

Regina hung up the phone and slowly walked into Henry's room, the door was cracked open slightly and the flickering light of the magically lit candles flooded the landing. She tapped gently on the door then walked in.

Henry was sat on his bed holding a framed picture in his hand, behind the glass was he and Emma, taken in Granny's when he was ten; both of them were sat with mugs of hot chocolate being clinked together and they had burgers in front of them.

"They haven't found her yet," he looked up at his mother, "have they?"

"Not yet," Regina took a seat beside him, "but I'm sure that they'll find her soon." She watched Henry look back down at the photograph. "I tried to use a locator spell to find her," she felt to need to explain… to reassure him that they were _all_ doing as much as they possibly could, " but for whatever reason it didn't work, it was like she was blocked." Regina frowned, she had never heard of this happening before, but then she had also never heard of someone who had Robert's abilities.

Henry looked up and gave her a small smile, he knew that she was only trying her best to make him feel better, he just wished that his other mom was safe too. He thought for a second about what she was saying, in every story he had read the locator spell would lead them straight to whoever it was they were looking for, it even managed to help his grandpa find his grandma while she was under a sleeping curse. "Maybe she's being blocked from all magic somehow," he suggested, "like something in a comic… kinda like a reverse magic cuff."

Regina's eyes shone with love for her son. "How did you get so smart?" she joked with a smile.

Henry gave a weak slightly self-conscious laugh.

The two sat in a comfortable silence for a couple of minutes.

"You know if we can't find her using magic we're going have to find her without magic… I think that means that we might need your help. You're right when you say that no one else knows the people of this town like you, if anyone will be able to figure out where George will be, and who he has helping him; it'll be you." She watched Henry beam at her. "I'm sorry that we didn't let you help earlier. I wanted you to not have to worry about there being a new 'villain', I just wanted you to be able to be a kid for a while, and just let us deal with him as a criminal: I just wanted to protect you."

Henry bit his lip to try and hide the guilt he was feeling. "Like how gramps and grandma were trying to help my mom." He realised. "I'm sorry that I worried you… I just wanted to help. I should have just asked you."

Regina put her arm around her son before she pulled him into a hug. "I forgive you. You understand now why I was worried?" she felt him nod against her. "Good." She pressed a kiss into his brown hair.

Henry eventually pulled out of the hug. "So I really get to help?" he asked her hopefully.

"Of course." She smiled. "So long as you follow some rules:" she paused to make sure that he was listening, "you have to do as you're told when you told, if I tell you that you have to stay home or somewhere you have to, and lastly you have to stay with someone at all times, I won't be giving George or his idiot goons the chance to get to you."

"Okay; deal."

Regina carefully picked the abandoned frame and put it onto his bedside table. She stood up, and waited for him to climb beneath the covers, then she smoothed the blankets down over him.. "Get some sleep, we'll start tomorrow."

"Good night, mom."

*OUAT*

Despite the late hour and how clearly tired he was, it Neal forever to fall asleep, even so by the time he was down for the night David was still certain that he would not be able to sleep for a long time. He left a candle lit on the dresser in his room then left the room. A couple of Robin's Merry-Men had volunteered to stand watch and protect the building, so David felt confident enough to leave Neal there by himself for a little while.

He walked through the curtain into the rest of the downstairs expecting to see his wife but there was no sign of her. He wasn't too surprised by that though as instead of searching for her he moved towards the living room. He had knew where she would be, it was where he where he would have gone too, but he decided to give her a couple of moments to herself. He grabbed the statue which was still sat on the coffee table, it was one which had been in the loft since the first curse, a heavy robin, which he knew Mary Margret wasn't attached to in the slightest. He grabbed it and walked with it to the kitchen, and chucked it straight into the bin, he didn't want to see his daughter's blood stained onto that statue ever again. Next he pulled two tumblers out of the cupboard, and a bottle of whisky, he didn't often drink especially not after seeing his father drink so much when he was younger; but today was an exception. He poured the two drinks then headed up the stairs.

-  
Mary Margret was sat on Emma's bed, she had taken Emma's blanket upstairs with her, a black notebook lay closed on her lap. The candles lit up the room completely, so David was able to see the red blood on the white wool clearly, though he was sure it would come out in time both he and Mary Margret would probably always see its ghost.

"I thought this should be up here.. she always kept it with her in every place she lived… she'll want it in here when she comes back." Mary Margret explained to him as he walked over, her voice was croaky as though she had been crying.

David took a seat next to her on Emma's bed. "We should put it in the truck, that way she can have it as soon as we find her, especially if we end up having to take her to the hospital for a check-up." He held out one of the glasses to his wife, she took it, then pressed the black notebook into his hand. He frowned at it then back at his wife.

"I found it in her bedside table." She took David's glass off of him as well he wouldn't be able to hold it without dropping it while reading that. "She knows that if I were to look to something I'd look there for it first. I hoped she had left a clue… that George had told her where he was taking her… I hoped that she'd managed to escape for a little while…" She felt David wrap his arm around her and squeeze her close to him. "She didn't… but she did leave that." She nodded to the notebook in his hand.

He took his arm back so he could open the notebook. He felt Mary Margret lean against his side, the weight settled his anxiety some, then he began to read.

The first page was Emma's writing, though it looked more rushed than usual, with bits added into sentences connected by arrows; almost as though she had wrote it while she was half asleep. It was about a dream she had, dated from when she was in the hospital, it was a dream about the guilt Emma faced from giving Henry up, David was unsurprised by the dream as he had guessed most of it from the conversation he had overheard between Emma and Henry; but the detail in the dream was painfully empathetic for David and Mary Margret, after all despite all intentions they too had felt guilt over giving Emma up.

Once he finished reading about that dream he flicked to the next page to read the next. It was one about himself. In Emma's dream she had caused his death at the station by a wall falling on him, she wrote how nervous it had made her feel, since having it, about him being out of her sight, he frowned as she demeaned it by calling it stupid and dismissing it. He frowned further when he read that instead of telling them about it, she had told him about one of her old foster parents- Ingrid.

The next page was full of her creepy dream with her mother being like a 'zombie Disney Snow White', who disappeared then David blamed Emma for it, and told her to leave. The only thing which made him feel worse about it was that he could see where the pen ink had run down the pages. She blamed herself; and she was terrified it was going to come true. She wrote how much it had made her feel better when her mom had been there to soothe her nightmare, but then she had told her she had simply seen Regina burning her from the trip to the past, she said she didn't want to jinx it.

He had expected that to be the last of the writing, as that was the last time she had had a nightmare, but the imprints from the next page of writing proved him wrong. It spoke of the whole town being on fire, this time Henry blamed her, she wanted to help and to save everyone but she couldn't. David looked over at Mary Margret who took a slow sip of her drink; clearly she hadn't known about Emma's dream either.

Before he read the last page he took his glass back from Mary Margret and took a sip of his drink. The last dream was even messier than the others, and dated from earlier that morning. She seemed to be even more scared of this one, perhaps it was because it was fresher in her mind, she was so scared of losing them all. He felt a stab in his heart with every gravestone's name she wrote. But his heart broke when she said that it was all her fault.

He finished reading it and put it down on the bed.

He looked over at his wife, tears had finally broken free from his stinging eyes and were rolling down his cheeks, and Mary Margret's face mirrored his. Careful not to spill his drink he wrapped his arms around his wife, he could feel her shaking as she cried and his own sobs took over his body; they weren't just crying from reading about the dreams though of course they felt guilty they hadn't noticed that Emma was lying, they were crying over all the events that had happened that day, the stress at the idea of losing Neal, then the complete anguish at losing Emma yet again, and the thought of Emma out alone and scared, in the freezing cold somewhere getting sicker and sicker.

"I thought that Regina had taught her how to control the dreams. She said she didn't have them. I even saw her awake one night and I just believed her. She didn't trust us. For all we know she could have thought those things would come true; that I'd push her away constantly, that I didn't want her." He shook his head trying to clear his memories but it was no use. "The last time I saw her I shouted at her, I told her that we didn't need her help… her… now George is going to try manipulate that and she'll believe it cause I as good as told her the same thing. I should have just asked about the dreams."

Mary Margret shook her head and moved back so she could look at him. "No, I should have noticed. I always know when she's lying, I was so distracted I didn't bother to make sure she was telling the truth; I knew something was up. I should have checked."

David shook his head this time. "I should never have left her here by herself. This is my fault. I _knew_ there was something wrong with the text Ruby sent; if I had just listened to my instincts she would still be here!" he downed the remainder of his drink in one sip, so quickly that Mary Margret didn't even have the opportunity to interrupt him. "If I had just killed George when he burnt Jefferson's hat to stop you from getting back…"

"Hey!" Mary Margret commanded. "Don't blame yourself! You know that Emma wouldn't have wanted you to chance it and stay home with her, I'm sure she'd be angry now hearing you even considering it. And never regret not killing someone," she placed her hands on his cheeks and forced him to stare deep into her eyes, "no matter how bad he is, don't stoop to his level, you're a hero. You know what it did to me when I killed Cora, I couldn't cope with seeing you like that." She tenderly kissed his lips. "You did the right thing." She whispered.

David ran his fingers through Mary Margret's short hair. "I love you." He whispered so quietly that he hadn't even meant to voice it. "We're going to get our baby girl back." He promised.

Mary Margret nodded, her husband's hand was now resting against her cheek, she leant slightly against it. "When we do we'll start to pay attention to our instincts, I don't care if she gets annoyed with us, it'll be worth it to keep her safe."

David nodded in agreement. "I vote we don't let her leave our sight until she's forty two. But right now we should go get some sleep." He stood up and offered his hand to her.

"Yeah, I don't like leaving Neal for so long, even with people watching out for him." She accepted the hand, but then she bent down to pick up her empty glass, her hand brushed against something which had fallen down under the bed. She pulled out a big thermos, she didn't need to open it to be able to smell that it had recently held coffee. "I'm changing the age to at least fifty two, she knew she shouldn't drink this." She frowned, she hoped that the caffeine wasn't affecting Emma now.

"Let's just make it until forever, then she _might_ get some time off for good behaviour." David sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

*OUAT*

The main dining room in the manor was lit by around fifty candles, food filled the tables and goblets were filled with wine, ale, and ciders, a large wood fire burned warming the frozen room. Outside the massive arched windows the empty fields allowed for an unspoilt view of the thunderstorm which danced and weaved its way between the inexorable rain. The setting could have been mistaken for being in the Enchanted forest, had it a cell phone not been plugged into some battery powered speakers, filling the room with the eighties best hits; which Edward wasn't sure was a good thing.

Edward waited until the end of the celebratory banquet to speak to George. The king had been drinking the ale, and was currently singling along to a song about a man who was never going to give someone up, so Edward figured it was better to ask while the man was still in a good mood. He approached the man and stood next to him. He coughed to gain his attention. "I did as you told me. Now, as you promised: where are my family? What happened to my sister and her two daughters?" His tone was business-like but hinted at his longing.

"Your nieces?" George asked innocently, but he hid a smirk when he saw Edward wince slightly, he seemed to hate being reminded that of his actually connection to the two girls; perhaps it made having to wait so long easier. He forced his face and tone to sombre. "They died… a long time ago." He answered honestly. "Before the girl who is currently in our basement was even born."

Edward's mouth fell open. He hadn't been expecting that answer… yet it seemed to make sense… but he had always hoped that George had simply kept them somewhere, or they were back in the Enchanted Forest… but dead? He could barely take it in yet at the same time it seemed to have been inevitable.

"Without the wealthy partnership of Midas' kingdom, times were hard…" George continued, he didn't need to prove his intentions or actions to this man, but he did feel the need to remind himself that it wasn't his fault. "After we lost the fight against David's forces any money we had had before was steadily depleting… Sacrifices had to be made." He paused waiting for Edward to speak, or to fight, to do something. But he simply stood in silence. The null reaction was making him start to feel tense, and slightly guilty; and that simply wouldn't do. "If it's any consolation, they were some of the last prisoners to die, at that point killing them was probably a mercy." He watched as Edward's face twitched, the scar on his face danced as he did so, but he was still holding back. "You should be thanking me for continuing to pay you while the sacrifices were made. "

Edward felt nothing short of murderous, he imagined a thousand ways he would kill George, ways to really make him suffer. His hands clenched in fists at his side. It was only then he noticed that the incessant music and talking had faded into silence. All of George's 'court' now subtly clutched weapons, ready to strike if need be. He took a few steps back, intent on leaving.

"If you go to David and Mary Margret they won't show you any mercy, even if they believed whatever tale you would spin, _you_ still kidnapped their daughter."

Edward felt a pang of guilt, that was true, he couldn't leave while George still had the girl… even then no one would believe his truth… perhaps there was no way out of this.

"Even then," George continued, "they would never forgive your past crimes. Swear your loyalty to me."

"Why would I do that." He meant to sound insolent, but instead it just came out weary, and tired.

"Because, if you have proven anything with your life, it is that you are a survivor. You know this is the only way."

Edward didn't take his eyes off George, but out of the corner of his eye he could still see the entire room holding their weapons, he wouldn't make it out of the room alive. "You're right I am a survivor." He looked up and met George's eyes. "I swear my loyalty to the _true_ ruler, and king, of Storybrooke."

George gave a victorious smirk. "I'm glad you've seen sense." The tension in the room finally faded, George's entire army went back to drinking and warming their selves by the fire. "Once we've defeated David and his little group of misfits, you should get a wife, if you're lucky I'll give you a title to pass down to your heirs."

Edward smiled gratefully but inside his coat pocket his hand was clenched into a fist.


	21. Chapter 21

The cold night had set into Emma's bones. She assumed that it was morning when she woke up, but without windows she couldn't tell if it was midday or midnight, she did know however that she was shivering; and she assumed she had been doing so for the entire night considering how tired she felt. She pulled her jumper closer around her, she couldn't help but to feel relieved that she had put it on when she was back home, it was one of her father's. She tugged the sleeves over her hands and kept tight hold of the wool in her fists to try and stop her hands from shaking. She wanted to lie down, to curl into herself, but the cuff tying her to the wall made that much more difficult. She tried to ignore the burn around her wrist from the cuff, and the sharp pain in her lungs every time she breathed, and the feeling of not being able to get quite enough air when she breathed. The jumper smelt like her dad and her home, the tug in her stomach only increased, the familiar feeling of homesickness. She covered her mouth as she had yet another coughing fit she wished more than ever for her parents to be there, she hadn't known until recently how comforting it was to have people want to look after you while you're ill, it was something she wasn't ready to give up just yet. Once she stopped coughing she took some shuddering deep breaths, to try and calm her breathing again, her breath turned to mist in the cold air.

The door opened spreading light into the dark room. Emma squinted in the changing light, she presumed from the large outline that it was Edward, she waited for the door to shut and for the room to be flooded into darkness again, but when the heavy wooden door banged shut the room was still lit by flickering lights.

"I convinced George that it'd be easier to keep an eye on you if we had a little light in here." He walked over to the wall and placed two candles on either side of the room, illuminating it in a soft, dancing, light.

Emma could now see that she was in a room made mainly of stone, which explained why it was so damn cold, it had probably been built as a storage but now all it was storing was herself and a bucket she had discovered earlier in one of the corners. Edward looked tired, lines on his face were clear, and his eyes were rimmed in purple. He slipped a bag off of his back and crouched down in front of her. She hadn't been sure if her pneumonia was making her freezing, or if it was actually as cold as a meat locker down in the basement, but judging by Edward's coat and scarf, it was actually really cold there. She could already tell that when Mary Margret and David finally found her they would be seriously overprotective, but now she was almost welcoming it. She found Edward offering her her inhaler, obviously he had heard the loud wheezing as she breathed the moment he stepped through the door, but he looked worriedly at her. She took four puffs and sat for a couple of minutes before taking some more, she finally felt her breathing get very slightly better, he held his hand back out for it; she knew that if anyone else caught her with it she wouldn't be able to use it again, so she handed it back to him.

Out of the bag he pulled two bottles of water, two rolls of bread, then finally two threadbare blankets. He gave her a small smile. "Sorry, that's the best I could do." He apologised as she sipped from one of the bottles. She winced as she swallowed it. Clearly her throat was even worse today than it was the day before, she really needed to be out of this basement, preferably to a doctor. He wrapped one of the blankets around her, then the other, he realised that she was looking at him curiously.

"Why are you doing this?" She could hear her voice cracking only just above a whisper. She nodded her head towards the food then looked towards the candles and back to assure him that she didn't mean the whole kidnapping her bit; though she wouldn't mind finding out how he got himself into all of this, also.

Edward quirked an eyebrow. "It's hardly the Ritz." He told her in his gravelly voice.

Emma tried to glare him down, though in her current state she was sure it was ineffective, and probably rather pathetic looking. "I know you're trying to help me."

Edward sighed wearily. "I'm not." He _wished_ he was actually helping her, instead he had merely convinced George to give her the bare minimum, there was no honour in that.

"You are." She told him bluntly. "I can tell when people are lying." She stared at the older man for a minute. "I think you're just in too deep."

Edward stood up and crossed his arms in front of his chest, he didn't like how Emma was so clearly able to read him, though he had secretly liked that for the first time in forever someone actually saw some good in him.

"Because…" Emma coughed "… I've been in too deep before." She thought of the time after she had been released from prison and of the older woman who had given her a chance. "I know how it looks. All you need is for somebody to give you a chance."

"No one _is_ going to give me that chance." He said quietly.

"My parents will," she insisted, "just-"

"- No. No one will." he interrupted, he walked over to the door he stopped when he got to it, but he didn't turn around. " _Especially_ your parents."

*OUAT*

Granny had closed her diner off from normal people of the town that day, and had offered for it to be repurposed as a hub for the search for Emma. The day had brought electricity back for many people in the town, David and Mary Margret's loft included, but those without it would still require some assistance. Many people had heard about the search for Emma, and wanted to help in any way they could, but David and Mary Margret were hesitant to use people who they didn't really know as they were worried about Robert's magic; so with the power out some of the people had been asked to help fix that, while others had been asked to help clear general debris and check on people who may need some help. Ashley, Kathryn, Aurora, and Philip had volunteered to help those most at need in the town hall, a few houses had been destroyed so while the dwarves, minus Leroy, went about fixing them, they would be temporarily be staying there.

Granny had insisted on cooking for David and Mary Margret before they met with the others, she told them it was to give her something to do, but really it was because she was worried they would have forgotten to feed themselves and only focused on Neal and Emma. So when they walked through the door they were met with the normal smell of an array of foods being cooked. Ruby met them and immediately wrapped them both, and Neal, in a hug.

Mary Margret and David were relieved to see Granny and Ruby, who had been practically their family in the Enchanted Forest, they had been worrying about Emma all night and had hardly got any sleep. Neal had also been asking for his big sister from the moment he woke up, they tried to tell him that she would be back soon, though as the hours went on they were becoming less and less sure of themselves. Tables in the diner had been pushed aside to make one long table running down the centre, it reminded David and Mary Margret of the one which sat in their war council chamber, though not as grand; and this time Granny was not knitting a blanket for their daughter but helping to find her. They gratefully accepted hot drinks, David sipping coffee while Mary Margret warmed herself up with hot chocolate, winter was clearly coming to Storybrooke. David tried to place his son down in one of the highchairs, but Neal squirmed and cried until he got him back out again, Mary Margret swooped him out of his father's arms to hold him; at least she could hold one of her babies. She sat down at the table, keeping Neal occupied by singing nursery rhymes, while David helped Granny and Ruby bring trays of food to the table: toast, sausages, fruit, bacon, bread rolls, jugs of juice, pots of tea, jams, marmalades, and about five types of eggs. Apparently Granny had overestimated their appetites, though they were sure any leftovers from their meal would be given to the other volunteers and for people seeking refuge from the effects of the storm and cold weather. Mary Margret looked up when the bell rang, some part of her expected Emma to walk through the door with a smirk too like her father's and complain that she was fine, but instead Regina and Henry walked in. Regina sat across the table from her and gave her a sympathetic smile, Mary Margret was grateful that she didn't try to make assurances that Emma was okay or promises that they were going to find her, right now she would rather have action and plans than kind words. She felt Neal wriggling on her lap, she carefully placed him on the floor, where he stood up and ran over to Henry, whom he adored. David took his place next to Mary Margret at the table, he scooted his chair so that there was no gap between the two, he placed his hand on the small of her back she rested her head on David's shoulder and he moved his hand so it was wrapped around her and resting on her ribs. He bent his head to say something to her when the bell on the door rang again, both their heads shot up expectantly, yet again it was not Emma. A smile spread across Ruby's face when she saw Skye.

"Hey, I'm glad you made it." Ruby wrapped her in a hug when they finally released each other they stood staring at each other for a few seconds with small smiles on their faces before she was brought back to herself. "Oh you've met my Granny right?" she said starting to reintroduce the two.

"Can we trust her?" David muttered to Mary Margret.

"Ruby does, so do I, she seems like a good person." She told him just as quietly.

"How does she know that she can, though?" he asked, he was still a bit weary though he trusted his friends and his wife's instincts, after all it was _Emma_ they needed to find so he would take every precaution.

Mary Margret took hold of his hand. "Do you remember when we first met?" she watched him nod and grow confused. "I knew I could trust you from the moment I met you, though I thought I could do it all by myself." She watched his look turn into a smirk but she cut him off before he could call her stubborn. "Ruby feels the same way about Skye."

David nodded acceptingly. He looked back towards Ruby and saw the look of love she had in her eyes as she talked to and about the barmaid, though he wasn't sure if she had realised what her feelings meant just yet, he turned his face back to his wife's he could feel a smile spread slowly onto his face.

"No." She told him sternly though a smile had started on her face, Ruby and David had been pretty close since they had met, their relationship often reminded Mary Margret of siblings' relationships. So David kept smiling. "Don't tease her _too_ much."

-  
Once the gang had started to eat they also started to discuss plans of which areas of the woods to search. David, Ruby, and Regina would be leading the search and would be joined by Robin, Fredrick, Sean, Killian, Robin's Merry Men, and Leroy. Mary Margret had decided to stay in the diner with Henry, Granny, Skye, and Belle and work on the story book; trying to figure out anyone else who might be working with George, and any clues in all their past as to where Emma could be. Blue and the rest of the fairies were at the nunnery trying to figure out how Robert's magic worked, also any children who would need protection while their parents were out searching were offered to be looked after there.

"What I'm worried about most," David said, "is if George has left Emma somewhere in the woods, where the weather will be making her worse." He wiped his hand over his face.

"She might not be." Henry suggested, he frowned as he thought, a look which was identical to how his mother looked when she was thinking.

"What do you mean?" David asked him his face contorted into the same as his grandson's.

"Well, George took my mom for a reason, right?" David nodded in response. "If he needs her for something he'll have to keep her safe or it'll all be nothing." He looked as his grandfather in hope that he was right.

David squeezed Henry's shoulder. "That's a really good point kid." He beamed proudly.

"I watched a lot of cop shows with my mum." He shrugged the compliment but gave him a small smile. "Mom always suggests what criminals should do to get away with it."

David gave a small smile of amusement "I'll be having words with her when we find her." He joked as he could tell his grandson needed some cheering up.

"She is going to be okay," he said sounded confident, "right Gramps?"

David forced himself to think positively. "Of course she will, we're going to find her soon, I promise you."

Henry smiled, if his grandfather was sure so was he, he wrapped him in a hug.

David rose his voice to capture the attention of the rest of the search party. "We should also look in small huts and shacks that may be hidden in the woods, someplace which will give shelter, but will be small and inconspicuous."

*OUAT*

Emma awoke again when the door slammed, she forgot that she had a chain around her wrist tying her to the wall, she tried to scramble up to her feet ready to meet whoever was there, she obviously failed; and fell painfully feeling pain radiating up her back.

George walked further into the basement room, laughing at her as he did so.

Emma felt a jolt of fear radiating through her, the man wasn't evil in the way that other villains she had faced were, he was evil in a much more human way; he wasn't about to throw fireballs at her, or send her through a portal, or perform cruel magic tricks: no, he was evil in a way which she was more used to from her childhood, which scared her a whole lot more than some evil queen. "What do you want." She held back a grimace at the pain while she spoke.

"I've already told you, my dear, you are going to be my heir." He placed his hands in his coat pockets to keep them warm. "Whether you want to be or not."

"I may not have paid attention in high school, but even I know that you adopting my …dad's brother," she wanted to avoid making an actual connection to James her weird extending family was the last thing on her mind at the present moment in time, "doesn't make me your heir."

"In _our_ world, it does. When Rumpelstiltskin gave me your father as James' very poor replacement," he scowled as he thought of how different David had been, "he became my son. So you _are_ my granddaughter, and my heir in that world… and this new one." He watched her shivering, he couldn't blame her it was exceptionally cold down in the basement; so cold the next room was used as a parlour, but it was Emma's paleness which made him displeased, her being ill would only complicate matters. "You have a lot of respect in this town. The people of this place would easily follow you, as the sheriff and as the daughter of their 'heroes', they'll follow you without any stupid uprisings which would of course need to be quashed."

"Yeah, freedom and democracy are horrible," Emma rolled her eyes as she spoke with sarcasm but then her voice turned serious and threatening, "but don't worry, they won't have a chance to rebel." She watched George smile in the flickering light, "Because my parents will stop you before you even have a chance. And there's no way in _hell_ that I'm ever, ever, going to help you."

"You're awfully cocky for someone who's chained to a wall." He clenched his fist inside of coat pocket. "And as you've obviously been too stupid to realise, I'll tell you again, your parents are gone.

Emma shook her head unwilling to entertain that idea for even a minute.

"Yes. They are _dead_." George sneered. "First my men took out that mutated waitress. Then the other pathetic excuses for heroes. Until it was only your mother, father, and brother left. I made your father watch your mother die. Then… well he no longer has a functioning throat. Your baby brother is upstairs now, I don't think he misses them at all, though we'll have to change his name to something more regal."

Emma shook her head as he spoke, her breath caught in her throat, she couldn't believe it… but being stuck in the room without them gave her pause for thought. Still she shook her head.

"I believe that first born children should be heir, no matter their gender. I _will_ have you on my side whether you like it or not." He spoke through clenched teeth. "Whether you are to be my heir and have _some_ input into the fate of this town, or if you're to stay locked down here in the cold with your bad dreams while I teach your brother to be a proper leader like James would have been… well, that's up to you."

*OUAT*

Mary Margret looked over to see Henry sat in a booth by himself, he was glaring angrily at the open story book in front of him, she left the others at the table where they were looking at photocopies of some of the stories. She sat down across from him and waited for him to start talking. While she was waiting she realised what picture he was looking at, it was when George had taken her and poisoned her, a chill ran down her spine at the memory.

"Is everyone capable of good?" his voice wasn't angry like Mary Margret had thought it would be, it was curious, and if she wasn't mistaken, it was sad; as though what he had believed to be true was a huge lie.

"What do you mean?" she took hold of his hand across the table.

"Well, load of people got second and even third chances when they did things wrong… because it was the right thing to do, because everyone should be able to turn good…"

Mary Margret suddenly grasped what Henry was getting at. "The reason we gave them all chances was because they had shown they wanted to change, or that they could be good, like your mom wasn't always the Evil Queen she was once a very nice lady, and she loves you; that's why we gave her a chance. Even the other villains we came across, sometimes we just couldn't keep giving them chances, like when Pan took you. George took Emma, we're not going to give him a chance after that." She thought back to her and her daughter's conversation a few days previously. "But we won't kill him either. We'll make sure he's sent to a prison out of Storybrooke, where he'll be kept for a very, very long time and anyone who's voluntarily hurt your mother." She promised.

Henry couldn't help but feel relieved at his grandmother's promise, he wanted George to be punished for what he had done, but they had to remain good. He frowned at the picture of George again, then flicked to find another one, and another, and another.

"What's wrong?" Mary Margret asked him, she knew what that look meant, it meant he was onto something.

"Gramps is looking in the woods for them… but he's looking in a shack."

"Yeah," Mary Margret nodded slowly, "we think George will be with her in case she escapes or we find her. He likes to be in control. He'll want to see how this all plays out."

"He won't be in a shack or a hut then." He told her confidently. "Look at all these pictures." He turned the book around so she could see them clearly. "George's kingdom was getting poorer in all of these, that's why he wanted grandpa to marry Princess Abigale. But he's still sat in a rich castle…"

"He likes to be comfortable." Mary Margret's face lit up with pride. "He won't be in a shack or a hut-"

"-He'll be comfortable." Henry finished.

"You're a very smart boy, Henry, I'm glad we have you on our side." She smiles. "We'll tell your gramps when he gets back," she looked at the clock, "which should be any minute now."

*OUAT*

Throughout the day Emma's asthma continued to get worse. She felt like her chest was being punctured with even the smallest of breaths, she spent most of her time asleep, but the time she spent awake she wished she was with her parents; even being in a hospital and taking steroid tablets would be better than this.

Between her sleeps she thought that she remembered seeing Edward coming in and checking on her, she would have thought that she had simply been dreaming if not for the metal bed with its thin mattress which was placed in her room. She awoke on top of it, apparently she was no longer a huge threat, though she was still handcuffed to the bedframe.

*OUAT*

George poured himself and Robert some sherry.

"You're annoyed with her." Robert smirked in amusement, like a boy pulling legs off of flies.

"She doesn't believe that her father and mother are dead." George spat frustrated. "I need to be able to control the girl and by extent her magic: I can't do that if she's still clinging onto hope that 'mommy and daddy' will save her."

Robert nodded and took a sip of his own drink. He had never met David, or Snow White, but the stories George told of him made Robert hate the man on principle; he was the furthest thing from James as possible, other than perhaps in stubbornness, which made him not fun at all. "Is she still ill?" he asked lazily, he wouldn't care for her health if it were not instrumental for their plans to succeed.

George nodded slowly. "She will need to see a doctor soon, I think."

Robert chuckled, he stood up from his leather arm chair to stand in front of the fire. "No doctor is going to trust you or keep quiet." He told him frankly. "Not with Prince Sheep-herder and his wife still around."

"I know." George sighed he looked up into the younger man's eyes; the ring of red around the green had always unsettled him. "I want to give them a few more days to tire themselves out. Then I'll meet them, I'll kill them in front of the girl, then with them gone, we'll take this town." He swiped his hand in a dismissing gesture. "The hard thing will be getting her to use her magic, with that cuff on her she can't use it… but if she has it off and we can't control her, we'll all be in for a whole world of trouble."

Robert considered his father figure in front of him. "I have found," he spoke slowly his voice was snake like; smooth and corrupting, "that fear is a powerful motivator. I remember you taught me that." He gave the man a sadistic smile as he remembered the lessons George taught he and James.

George barely suppressed the excitement he felt, Emma was well known to have powerful magic; he knew they would be unstoppable as soon as he tamed her. "You have some ideas, I presume."

"When I get inside of people's heads to look at their dreams, I can also look at other things, like their memories. While people sleep the memories aren't so guarded. She has plenty of memories from her childhood, ones which are still powerful for her, they should scare her into submission: especially when she realises that mummy and daddy won't be able to save her."

"I like how you think."

Robert drank the last of his sherry, the red of his eye twinkled as he looked towards the fire, a smile slithered into a curl on his face. "This is going to be fun."

*OUAT*

When it had got to ten o'clock that night Regina had insisted that Mary Margret and David go home for the night, the torches couldn't cut through the pitch black of the night, so searching during those hours was pointless and would only drain them of their energy.

"Save that energy for the fight." She had argued.

"We don't even know if there'll be a fight, we could take George by surprise at night, while his men aren't around him." Mary Margret maintained.

"We're not giving up on her." David fiercely protested.

"I'm not saying to give up on her, I'm saying you need to conserve your energy, we all know George won't be stupid enough to give up without a fight; and your other child needs you too."

The couple sighed, her stern words were so like Ruby's the previous night that it scared them, the two rarely agreed on anything; so when they did people listened.

-  
Mary Margret, David, and Neal piled into David's truck, the colder weather and rain had mixed to make a sleet which was making driving difficult, David's truck was the safest way they could get about. Neal had hated not seeing his father for most of the day, and only seeing his mother until lunch time, he missed his sister tremendously; normally she was there to talk and play with him. He sat in his car seat in his father's vehicle and cried.

"Come on, sweetie," Mary Margret soothed, "we'll be home soon." She gently stroked his cheek as she sat beside him, but he continued to cry hysterically.

"Neal, buddy, it's okay. Shhh sunshine." David tried from where he sat in the driver's seat.

"Emmy." Neal cried, he held his hands out to his mother. He didn't understand why they were keeping her from him, she was normally there. Why were his mommy and daddy not letting him see her?

Mary Margret gently rubbed circled onto his stomach, she wanted to pick him up and be able to settle him down so she could do something for one of her children, but she couldn't as it was too dangerous. She shot her husband a helpless look, and he looked just as helpless in return. She looked back at her son trying to think what she could do to sooth him until they got home. She suddenly remembered the blanket David had put in the glove compartment early that morning, ready for Emma if she wanted it. She felt the soft white wool under her hands, it was still in perfect condition despite years of use, there was still the spot of blood, and she reminded herself to wash it as soon as she could. "Neal, can you look after Emmy's blanket for her?"

"Emmy?" he questioned sadly, he sniffed as his tears and crying stopped, he knew that this was his sister's blanket as he had seen her with it when she was sad or poorly; he knew that she didn't like other's having or seeing it, but she was okay with him seeing it, he thought.

"Yeah," Mary Margret said softly, "she needs you to look after it, can you do that?" she tucked the blanket around her son, he could clearly smell his sister on it and it seemed to be settling him down. She felt her husband take hold of her hand, they linked their fingers together, she looked back over at him, he had a bittersweet look on his face as sweet as it was to see Emma's blanket comforting her little brother, they'd much rather have Emma there. The only sound in the car was the wipers, working overtime to keep the windscreen free from sleet, and Neal's quiet sniffing as he stopped crying.

David bounced Neal on his hip as he made the toddler some warm milk in his bottle. Mary Margret came into the kitchen from putting Emma's blanket in the washing machine, she couldn't bear to think about what had happened to her daughter, the red stain was a reminder of it. She rubbed her son's back as they stood waiting for the milk to warm. His blue eyes were rimmed with red from crying, and he clutched his toy dragon in his hand, he was clearly tired but Mary Margret suspected that he was be just as hard to get to sleep as he was the night before.

David brushed his hand down the side of Mary Margret's arm until she looked up at his. He placed a chaste kiss on her lips. "I love you." He whispered.

"I love you, too." she whispered back. "We'll find her."

"We will. And George is going to be sorry when we do." His voice was overprotective as he started to feed Neal the milk.

"He will be." Mary Margret vowed. She started to make them both some hot chocolate, she paused when she realised she had got three mugs out automatically, she left Emma's mug on the side; she would need to use it soon enough. "But we can't kill him."

David sighed heavily.

"Emma made me promise, so did Henry, and agree with them."

"I know." David said quietly. "I was talking to Regina, she said she'll be able to help make some paperwork to send George to prison, after he's done this to Emma I'm going to make sure he goes away for life."

She smiled at her husband as he rocked their son, she felt an amazing amount of pride, after all the things George had done to him he still had a stiff moral compass; he wasn't going to seek vengeance as it was done in their old home.

No matter how much they rocked him, sang to him, left him to cry, Neal would not fall asleep. Just before the clock struck midnight they gave up. David coddled him close to his chest, he sat down on the bed then led down with Neal still on his chest, Mary Margret made sure both were covered completely by the duvet and the blankets luckily due to the heaters in the loft the room was fairly warm. Warmer than wherever Emma was being kept she figured. She was lost in her thoughts until she felt David lay Neal down between the two of them, the toddler shifted in his sleep to lay his head on her chest, she stroked his baby-soft dark curls. David slipped his arm around wife. They both led in silence until they fell asleep.

*OUAT*

"They will forgive you," Emma told him yet "whatever it is you've done. Just go to them they'll help you."

Edward rolled his eyes. "They won't. I don't understand why you're so intent on trusting me when you don't know anything about me."

"I just do." Emma shrugged the best she could from where she was led on the bed as she was too tired to sit up. "Did you… I thought you came to my hospital room, but your hair was short, it was probably just a stupid dream."

"It was tied back," he smirked, "you know for a sheriff… you're not very perceptive." He gained a small smile in return for his jest. Though behind his jokes he was actually very worried about her; her breathing had quickened, her wheezing was louder, she had more coughing fits than before, she was paler, and she could barely keep her eyes open for longer than ten minutes. She really needed to get out of here, but if he tried to take her himself he'd be killed instantly and he wasn't sure what would happen to her. He would go to Mary Margret and David but there had been no opportunity for him to get out of the mansion and he didn't have any way to prove to them that he was telling them the truth, and if they wanted to beat George they _would_ need him.

"How _did_ you end up working for George?" Emma asked weakly, bringing him back to himself, "You don't seem like you're here by much choice. And you seem certain that my parents won't listen to you."

"Okay," he sighed finally giving in, "but then you'll know why your parents won't trust me, and why you're wrong to."

Emma managed to push herself slightly more upright ready to listen, she pulled the blankets tighter around her, but there really wasn't much difference between having them and not.

"I started out as a knight in George's army when I was very young and George had only just taken to the throne. I was not rich like many of the others, or from a well-known family, but I was a very good fighter so I quickly became one of the highest ranking men in his army. It was not the nicest of kingdoms, but it was my home. George had fair morals, or so I thought, it turned out that most of the moral belonged to his wife. She died when your uncle, Prince James, was very young. George's morals started to become more and more questionable. One day, when Prince James was around ten, he sent us to break up a village of what he told us were bloodthirsty pirate and convicts; they put up a huge fight… as the rest of my men torched the village, I fought the last man, it was he who gave me this scar." He pointed to his face. "But I still beat him, and I thought what we had done was right… until with his dying breath the man told me that the village was made up of people who were poor, crippled, ill, some _were_ convicts… but none deserved the deaths we gave them."

Emma only just realised how old Edward was, his haggard face had deep wrinkles running through it, his hair may have once been dark, but now it was losing a battle with grey and white hairs.

"I went back to George and told him I would not do his deplorable acts: that was not the vow I made as a knight, I threw down my sword and armour at his feet and left his service. I went back to the village I grew up in, I still had my sister and her two daughters, Ellamae and Naomi, they were just babies. And there was a person who… we kind of had a relationship… but it was against the law where we lived." He frowned, he knew that this new world had different ideas about sexuality, but he had still never said the words out loud.

"You were gay?" Emma guessed, she watched him nod he looked almost as if he was scared, she took hold of his hand and squeezed it, she gave him a smile to let him know that he didn't have to be worried about her reaction. She had never thought about how it may have been seen in the Enchanted Forest, she could only assume even worse than the homophobia in this time and world, which she had never understood.

"Anyway, I returned home, my sister was a seamstress but the village was poor so it was hard for her to earn money. With my scar, nowhere in the village would hire me, so I stole from places without my sister or Nigel knowing. Nowhere poor or undeserving. My small family was poor, but we were happy." He had kept Emma's cold hand in his own hoping that it would warm soon.

"I came home one day, to find Nigel… he had been killed. George had left a letter telling me it was the price for breaking the law. He told me he also had my family, and if I didn't do as he said they would pay the price. When I visited George he told me that the only way he would release them is if I were to become his personal assassin. I had to agree, they were all I had left." He cleared his throat. "He sent me through and beyond Misthaven, threatening, stealing, kidnapping, and killing. I kept asking him to free my family, I would still remain in his service, I asked for years and years; but they never were. Over the years I started to lose hope, so I decided started to help the people I was meant to kill; I would fake their deaths and help them restart their lives somewhere else. George has never found that out, he would have killed the people I hid, and my family."

Emma frowned. "That doesn't make you a bad person, you changed your life, and you started to help people." She insisted. "We'll be able to find where you family are, they might be a little older than when you last saw them, but they would have come over with the curse-"

"No." Edward told her firmly. "They died before you were even born. George told me that the day I helped kidnap you."

"Then… why are you still around?"

"I _did_ kill people, and I _kidnapped_ you… I have to make up for that. I was going to help you escape, but I fear you're too ill to make a run for it, we're surrounded by fields and woods, you'd be caught straight away."

For once Emma didn't argue about how sick she was, it was pointless, not to mention dangerous. "You'll have to go convince my parents. I know it's painful for you, but tell them your story, they'll understand."

"I will go." He told her quietly. "Though I don't think they'll forgive me. I'm a villain, they're heroes. Plus the first impression I have given them is working for George and kidnapping their child."

Emma bit her lip to hide a smile. "One of the first impressions I gave my mom was her bailing me out of jail… and my dad kinda avoided me for the most of the first year as I always looked like I was about to punch him."

Edward frowned, like most of the town he had heard some of Emma's story, but he didn't know the semantics of it. "One day I would love to hear your story."

"Sure." She smiled, the story had managed to keep her awake for a little while, but now she was growing tired again, she fought to keep her eyes open in the dying candle light.

"What if they don't believe me, how am I meant to make them trust me," Edward questioned he had already swore he would tell them but if they didn't believe him it would be a huge problem, "they won't believe me if I tell them that you trust me… that won't be enough."

Emma thought for a moment, although her parents were normally very open minded and understanding, when it came to their children they could be blindingly overprotective. "Tell them that I told them they can trust you. They'll believe it if I tell you something personal…. Tell them, I'm sure if they've rooted through my room they'll have found the notebook in my bedside table…. Tell them I'm sorry I didn't tell them, and that I lied, and that when I'm back home they can shout at me all they like." Emma swallowed which was painful but better than outright crying, "Tell them I miss them." She forced herself to fake a smile. "Even if they are overly-protective, and that I can't wait to watch movies with them, even if it's Neal's turn."

Edward sent her a warm smile, he knew how hard it was to be away from family, and Emma so clearly cared about what happens to hers.

*OUAT*

_Emma was sat in the back of her parents car… at least she thought they were her parents at the time, she thought that the Swans were taking her on an adventure perhaps even a holiday, but she knew from memory that this was not what was happening._

_She was being driven to a social services office where she would be left._

_Their faces flickered, and she was no longer looking at the Swans, but at her actual parents. She knew that this wasn't right, but it was just so realistic. Her parents looked at her in disgust before they turned back around and started to drive._

_The scene changed and she was in a house, it was her first home since the Swan's, she hadn't understood what was happening; all she knew was this was a bad place. She hid under the bed of the sparsely decorated room, her baby blanket was clutched to her chest, she didn't want to be there._

_She could hear her foster parents shouting downstairs, their voices were eerily similar to her actual parents but that wasn't right it couldn't be them, she had never even heard them raise their voices to each other._

_She heard a plate smash._

_Her hand instinctive went to her arm where she knew within a couple of weeks a cigarette burn would develop._


	22. Chapter 22

_There was a suffocating darkness around Emma, the air was thick and close, she was shivering against a wall. She put her hands out to try to feel where she was, only a couple of inches in front of her, she twisted around and found it was the same on the other two sides also, she was clearly in a cupboard of some form. She started to bang on the door, it was then that she realised this was not the first time she had been in that cupboard, it was yet another memory from her childhood; a couple of years after she left the Swans. The familiar sight of the cupboard grew around her as her eyes adjusted to She could feel her chest getting tighter with panic, she started to bang on the door more frantically, her hand turned into a fist as she pounded the door. She felt a sinking feeling in her stomach of pure desperation, she just wanted her parents to be there, like she did when she was younger. She looked down instinctively at her left arm and found that it was swollen and bruised, clearly broken… yeah she remembered that happening… she felt an agonising pain shooting through it as though it was being broken all over again. She slid down against the door, silent sobs shuddering out of her, she wrapped her arms around herself. She waited desperately for her parents to save her from this house which was_ definitely _not a home._

*OUAT*

Emma jolted awake, her breathing was jagged, she took slow breaths to calm her breathing; she pushed away the thoughts about what would happen if she couldn't control her breathing. Even as her breathing slowed the desperation to have her parents with her lingered. She could see the silhouette of someone on a chair which had been brought into the room she was being held in, they didn't move at all as she shifted slightly in her bed, she didn't know who it was but she knew it wasn't Edward so there was no way she was just going to lay there and do nothing. She could feel the cuff on her right wrist, she quietly moved it around gaging how much room she had in it, she smiled when she realised that she would be able to slip her hand out of it, though she would scrape her skin a little; it was her first opportunity to escape. As she wriggled her hand the figure stood up: Robert.

Robert chuckled at the sight of Emma trying to subtly free herself, she looked up at the sound of his laughter, and he walked closer to her. She gave up being subtle and was actively and aggressively trying to save herself, at the expense of her breathing it would seem. She managed to pull her hand free of the cuff. She scrabbled to her feet.

Robert watched in amusement as Emma thought she was about to save herself.

Emma started to move past him, if she could get out of the room she would be able to lock Robert inside it, she'd plan her escape from there. She moved as quickly as she could muster.

Robert stuck out his foot to the side, he felt a slight pain as Emma's foot kicked it, but he smiled as he watched Emma tumble over, holding her arm out to save herself.

"Shit." Emma muttered in pain as her whole weight fell onto her left arm, she had heard the loud crunching sound, and the familiar pain. She held carefully onto her arm as the pain shot through it.

Robert dragged the younger woman to her feet, he pushed her back onto the bed, he wrenched her right arm to the bed frame and re-cuffed her, this time tight enough to cut into her skin.

"That's better," He smirked, "don't you agree?" He watched her shivering but he didn't recover her with the blankets.

Emma glared at the man, she was used to bullies in her past, she tried to keep her temper under control by focusing instead on the pain in her arm.

"Looks to me like you've broken your arm." Robert snickered. "Just like your dream."

Emma frowned at him, she knew that he somehow gave her the bad dreams, but she didn't realise that he knew what happened in them. "You watch them." She realised.

Robert gave a slow smile. "You're smarter than you look. I can see into your head _Saviour_ , I can see the _real_ you, just the scared, pathetic, unloved orphan. That's why you learnt how to tell if people are lying, didn't you?" He chuckled at Emma's glare as she tried to hide the fear and pain from her face. "You had to know who was safe to trust. You know I'm not lying. Your parents are dead." He couldn't help but to be impressed with himself, sure David and his wife were still breathing, but he meant dead figuratively, as soon as George saw them, they would be.

"You're right, I can tell whose lying." She glowered at him from where he towered over her. "You might not be lying, but it doesn't mean you're right. I adapted that yes, but I don't need that now, I don't need it around my family because I don't need to protect myself. I know that for the same reason I know that my parents will come and find me; because they love me. I'm not an orphan anymore."

"David and Snow White are dead!" Robert's knuckles turned white from how tightly they were clenched.

It was then Emma's turn to smile. "That's why she's always referred to as Snow White in my dreams, you never met her; you only know her here by the stupid Disney version." She looked up into his eyes, in the pale light, she managed to make out the green, then the red rings around the irises. "It's your eyes I see instead of hers. Now you can't try to scare me by being her, I know your eyes now."

Robert slammed it fist against the metal bed with great force, she may not be scared of him in the dream, but she was scared of him in real life.

"You're just a puppet for George. A psychopath who can't feel love, even for your dad, that's why he had you thrown down a well, _Sandman_."

Robert felt a cool anger wash over him as he remembered his father. "Don't forget, Emma," he hissed, "you're going to be down here for a long, long time, with just me and your memories for company."

He span on his heel and swiftly walked out, he slammed the door behind him, the gust of air from the door shutting extinguished the candle; plunging the room into darkness.

*OUAT*

"Henry you'll have to stay here while we go out searching."

"But mom," Henry pleaded, "I can help."

"Henry," Regina warned, "I know you can help but it's too dangerous for you to come out on the actual search. You agreed to listen to me, Henry, I _need_ you to do that now."

Killian caught sight of Henry's face while he was being made aware that he would be staying with Granny, to sit inside and stare at his story book, while he hoped to identify more people who could have been working with George.

"The boy," Killian rose his voice as he swaggered forward towards where Regina, Mary Margret, David, and Henry were standing; "could come with me out on the Jolly Roger."

"With you?" Regina rose her eyebrow.

"Well… I am the captain of the ship…" he said as though it was obvious, and perhaps it was, he noticed David had now started to take notice of the conversation with a curious look on his face.

"And why would you be willing to take him?" Regina asked suspicious.

"A bit of sea air will be better for him than being stuck in here."

"Please mom?" Henry asked, he looked excited to be able to be out of the diner, or his house. "At least you wouldn't have to worry about me trying to help you on the search."

"I think it'd be a good idea." David injected. He was shot a look by Regina, he looked back at her as if to tell her that he trusted the other man, and that it would be good for Henry.

Henry shot his grandpa a smile. "Please mom?" he shot Regina a puppy dog look.

Regina looked over to Mary Margret to gage her opinion, before she looked back at Killian and Henry who were now stood next to each other. "Fine. But if he even as a hair out of place I will drown you." She looked at Henry. "And you need to wear a lifejacket."

"Aye, the lad will be safe with me, you have my word on that." Killian agreed.

"Thanks mom." Henry wrapped his mother in a hug.

"Killian," David grabbed his attention, "take your phone in case we need to talk. You know how to call me, right, other than texting?" he squinted his eyes cautiously: Killian seemed to feel the need to text him completely pointless things at all hours of the day, but he had never actually received a phone call from him.

"Aye," Killian held up his phone "Swan showed me what number to press to call you." He held his phone up, the screen showed that he was calling 'Davey', alongside a totally unflattering picture of David.

David almost wished that he hadn't asked.

*OUAT*

With henry on the boat, Killian was almost startled with how much he resembled and acted like Baelfire, especially now that he was around the same age as his father when Killian had known him. He was looking peacefully over the horizon, from where they had anchored, that was until he looked down at the book resting on an upturned barrel.

"You taught my dad to steer this ship." Henry hadn't spoken much since they had got on the boat, but it had been a fairly comfortable silence, both of them lost in their own thoughts.

"Aye, I did." Killian confirmed. "After the Shadow brought him to Neverland, I decided to try to keep him on the ship, away from Pan."

"Because of Milah?" Henry turned around to face Killian.

Killian remembered Baelfire's accusing words about Milah, oh so many years ago, but Henry's tone was open ready to hear an entire story. Killian nodded. "He was a lot like his mother, headstrong, intelligent, you remind me a lot of him in that way."

Henry gave a small smile, he didn't hear many stories of his paternal grandmother, and he didn't know much of his father from when he was young either.

Killian saw Henry's slightly wistful look. "He also had a proclivity for getting himself in trouble, or at least putting himself in danger, he would often disappear up onto the crow's nest in the dead of night, frightened me half to death most of the time." Killian then cracked a huge smile. "I hear that you share that trait."

Henry bit his lip to try and stop himself from smiling, he looked at Killian slightly sheepishly, but when he realised that the older man seemed more amused than anything else he smiled in full. "Yeah, before the first curse broke, I managed to get down to the mines but things went wrong, and I kind of needed to be saved."

"Well, all adventures require danger, and bravery."

Henry continued to smile at the compliment. "I also kind of went into my mom's vault, when my other mom and grandma were trapped in the Enchanted Forest, I accidentally let some Agrabahn Vipers out of their box."

Killian's mouth fell open, from his travels around the old world, he had heard about the dangerous snakes. "How did you get away?"

"My gramps saved me."

"It's good that Dave was there." He saw Henry starting to look down again. "We all need someone to save us every now and again."

Henry nodded but stayed quiet for a few minutes. "Do you think my mom knows that we're going to save her?" he asked quietly.

"I think that you mother has faith in you." Killian told him. "And she's strong, she's even managed to best me once or twice."

He was happy to see Henry's smile return at that. "I could tell you some more stories of your father, if you wish?" he offered.

*OUAT*

Edward clenched his hands behind his back as he stood in the warm office. It took all he had to maintain looking polite and to not leap across George's desk and strangle him. "She's getting sicker." He told George abruptly. "Whatever your plans are, you need to speed them up, she needs to get to a hospital."

George looked up from the labelled chess board in front of him; he had moved a couple of his pawns from his side of the board to captured on David's, but he had taken one of the white rooks from David's side to his own, a sticky note on it labelled it as 'Emma'. He looked up at the scarred man, into his eyes, he expected to see some form of hatred, but all he saw was calm. Perhaps the man was on his side after all. "Don't tell me that you've come to care for the girl?"

"She's a spoilt brat with delusions of grandeur." Edward practically spat. "But, if she dies we won't have her magic on our side, we'll all be caught; more importantly I'll be caught. I doubt that any member of this town, _especially_ the shepherd, will forgive me for kidnapping her."

"Hmm." George nodded slowly.

"Need I remind you that I swore an oath? To the _true_ leader of the town?" What Edward didn't mention was that he swore it to the _leaders_ , which in his opinion were the people who constantly put the others first; David and Mary Margret, hell even Emma if she wanted the job, though she might already have enough on her plate.

"You're right." George smiled. "However, before she can receive medical treatment, I need to get David and Mary Margret out of the way; that way there'll be less people to stop us, and everyone is more likely to be compliant."

"Then allow me to get rid of them." He held his breath he hoped that George would react how he expected him to. "After all, I am your right hand man."

"I know you are, and ordinarily I would allow you to, but I have to do this myself. I want to be the one to end their lived."

"Y'know…" Edward paused for a second. "…you could always make the girl watch. It might subdue her slightly, and take away her hope, she'll be much easily to control if she has nothing to fight for."

George smiled; his teeth bared like an animal who had just found the perfect way to hunt their prey. "If you have a plan, I'm all ears."

Edward swallowed to hide the relief on his face. "You take a small team; you, me, Robert, a driver maybe Kane, and Emma. You leave some of your men here, have a few in the trees waiting for David. We meet David and Mary Margret alone at the toll bridge, there's water there for ease of dispensing their bodies, tell them to come alone or their daughter dies and they will. Once they're dead we can go to the hospital, make a doctor there treat Emma, everyone will just be trying to search for Emma's parents for help so we should be safe while we're there. That's the _'heroes'_ problems, they always want to use team work to save people, they wouldn't go after us without a team."

"I like the way you think." George glanced back down at the chessboard. "Without your family holding you back you seem to be much more invested, perhaps I should have told you about them years ago."

Edward clenched his jaw and dug his fingernails deep into his skin hard enough to draw blood, as he refrained from cutting George's head off right there and then.

"We'll take Emma for a nice long drive, Robert can use her as a play thing before she sees her parents again, that should make David and Mary Margret more likely to drop any weapons they have."

"Good plan." He gave a tight smile but he felt his heart twinge at that, he has seen Emma for a couple of minutes that day, and he knew how much Robert was playing with her mind. He turned to leave.

"Oh, Edward?" George called bringing the other man to a stop. "I need you to gather some supplies, winter is coming, we need to be prepared; I don't think that anyone would risk attack us while we have the girl, but nevertheless we can hold off the cold here, let them become ill, then wipe out those who question our power."

"Yes sir."

"Plus, I want to throw a banquet when we finally defeat those two meddling morons. But, go by yourself, I don't want mistakes to be made like last time. "

*OUAT*

David, Regina, and Mary Margret wandered back into the woods from where they had just searched a house, their third one of the day, which was yet again abandoned. David leant against a tree to cross the house off of his map in a red marker, while Mary Margret and Regina walked ahead down the path, carefully not to slip on the frozen path. Once he caught up to them Regina snatched the map off of him to look at where the next house was.

"Why _are_ there so many empty houses out here?" David grumbled.

"There must have been more people living in them during the first curse." Regina suggested without looking up from the map.

"Some of them might have come over in the second curse, or they might have been empty already." Mary Margret suggested from beside David.

David took hold of her hand for a second and squeezed it. "Are you okay? You're not too cold are you?" he worried.

"It's cold but I'm okay. I'm just worried how cold Emma will be." She answered sadly.

"Once we find George I'm going to make him suffer for every minute Emma had to spend with him."

"David." Mary Margret reminded him firmly. "We promised _both_ Henry and Emma that we wouldn't."

David rolled his eyes as he wander off towards the trees. "I know, just allow me some wishful thinki-"

Regina had turned around to look at the two when she saw David start to walk between two trees, she quickly threw up her hand, sending a blast of magic at him making him fly back to land at Mary Margret's feet.

"What the _hell_ Regina!" He demanded, he was helped up by Mary Margret, and he brushed the dirt off of himself.

"You almost stepped across the town line." She explained.

"There town line's there?" David's eyes widened.

"What did you think the town line only existed on one measly bit of road out of the town?" Regina held up her hand towards the trees making the trunks turn purple. "No matter your downfalls as a father, I think Emma would rather have you around, than us saving her and her finding out that you couldn't get back into town."

David nodded dumbly, the breath was still knocked out of him, Mary Margret took his hand. It was weird to have Regina being so hopeful, they wouldn't admit it, but the longer the search went on the more worried they became… and the more hope they lost.

"So as soon as we catch him…" David started as the group began walking again.

"He'll be confined to my vault with magical chains he won't be able to escape, then at the earliest opportunity he'll be moved to New York."

"Will you need me to do any paperwork?" David asked, as he wrapped his arm around Mary Margret's shoulders, he hoped that she would say she didn't as he didn't want to spend a second away from Emma once they got her back.

"No, I've got them all drawn up, you won't need to do anything. He'll be arrested for robbery, prison break, kidnapping, and the murder of Billy. He'll be in prison for a long time and he deserves it."

"Thank you." He replied whole heartedly.

"He's not the only one who has done bad things in the past." Regina held up a hand when Mary Margret started to protest. "No, I did. Thank you for giving me all these chances."

"It was different with you," Mary Margret told her, "you're Henry's mom."

*OUAT*

_Emma scrambled around the dark kitchen. She had to be silent, she knew that much, she could barely even hear her own tiptoeing feet on her floor; yet she worried even that was too loud. It was the early hours in the morning, in a nice suburban house she had spent a couple of weeks in when she was a little kid. She needed some food, she had been denied any for over a day, but if she was caught… well she had to move quick. Despite her young age she knew which foods to take which wouldn't be noticed or missed, and what was best to fill her up, foods like bread, leftover rice or pasta, and milk. She finished pouring herself a glass of milk, but the glass was too heavy in her hand, it slipped; the glass fell to the ground with a smash. Emma froze. A set of heavy footsteps sounded on the stairs, echoing closer, followed almost instantly by another. Emma wanted to run, but instead she remained frozen, she waited for her foster parents to appear._

*OUAT*

Edward rushed to Emma's side as she was tossing and turning in the bed, her face was screwed up in a nightmare. "Emma." He firmly shook her shoulder. She jerked awake and flinched away from him. "It's okay, Emma." He tried to calm her down but she still looked uneasy even as she woke up more. "Here, take this." He passed her the inhaler then moved back from her slightly so not to crowd her. He took in her bruised and swollen arm, it was clearly broken and painful, as she had to use it to take the inhaler. She was looking feverish and was clearly burning up. She wordlessly handed him back the inhaler, she seemed too tired to speak, but she sent him a thankful look. He pulled the blankets closer around her as she continued to shiver.

Edward helped her sit up slightly more and handed her some bread, a yoghurt, and a bottle of water; he put another one on the floor next to her bed, the lid mostly unfastened.

"Thank you." Emma said her voice barely above a whisper, she still seemed to be hesitant around him, whatever dream she'd been having had really affected her, and Edward would put money on it that it was Robert's fault.

"Just hang in there for one more day, Emma, hang in there for me. I'll speak to your parents tonight and you'll be back with them this time tomorrow, you'll be safe, and you'll never have to go through this again."

Emma nodded but he wasn't sure if she was in a state where she could comprehend what she was hearing.

He left the room with an uneasy feeling in his stomach.

*OUAT*

David and Mary Margret sat with Neal in the sheriff's station, they had finished the search for the night, but the cold and the sleet had stopped a search party going out that night. They had been offered dinner at Granny's with the rest of the search party, but they had got their food as takeout. They didn't want to eat with the others, it just felt like too much for them at that moment, and they didn't want to eat at home, it was too quiet there without Emma; it didn't feel like their home right at that moment: they just felt lost.

Mary Margret stood rocking Neal in her arms, he was asleep, but she didn't want to put him down in his car seat.

David sat at his desk staring at a photo on his desk. It was of he and Emma, taken by Mary Margret; they were stood in front of the sheriff's car, David had his arm around his daughter and she was pulled in close at his side. Mary Margret had printed out the photograph and put it in a frame in their living room, the photograph had disappeared for a few hours the second day it was up, only for a copy to turn up in a frame in the station; Emma had claimed that it was helpful to have a picture of the staff up. She didn't explain why there was another copy in her own room, nor did she complain when David bought her a frame for her copy.

"It's been three days." Mary Margret said quietly as she stood next to him.

"Hey." David pulled her by the hand so she sat on his lap. He kissed her gently. "We have to keep hope. Something _is_ going to turn up, I can feel it."

"I know we will, I can feel it too… I just worried about what state she'll be in when we do find her."

David had no words, he pulled her close, and she laid her head on his shoulder.

*OUAT*

Edward walked slowly into the station, he had been driving by when he had spotted David's distinctive truck, he had done a quick U-turn into the car park. He made sure that his footsteps were heavy, with only David's truck outside and he didn't want to be killed before he said his piece, before he could help them get Emma back. Edward walked in to see David gently placing his son in the car seat. But Mary Margret saw him.

She quickly took David's sword from his belt, she span around, and pointed it at Edward. "Who the hell are you?" she asked fiercely, she recognised him from the hospital, and from the file David had brought home.

"My name is Edward." He held his hands up placating. "I know you're daughter, Emma, I'm here to help you get her back."

David saw red at the mention of Emma's name. He bolted past Mary Margret at Edward, he took hold of Edward and held him to the wall, one hand shot around his neck. "You work for George. So you better start talking before I shoot you in the face."

"You might not believe what I have to say, but it's the truth, I swear it." Edward started.

"Then give us a reason to believe you before I cut your head off." Mary Margret demanded through clenched teeth.

"Emma told me to tell you that she misses you, even if you're 'overprotective', she said that she's sorry she didn't tell you and that she lied and when you're all home she can't wait to watch movies with you and that you can shout at her for all of this then." Edward remembered Emma's speech word for word. He could see David and Mary Margret softening but they didn't quite believe him. "She also said that she was sure you'll have 'rooted' through her room, and found the notebook in her bedside table, it was full of the dreams she'd be having."

David let go of him and took a few steps back in shock.

Mary Margret finally dropped the sword down to her side. "What made her trust you?" she asked him curiously, she had come to trust her daughter's instincts, especially after not trusting her a couple of times.

"I… I told her my story." He told them slightly embarrassed.

"Tell us it, please." Mary Margret requested. "We trust Emma's judgement but…"

"It'd be nice to know how George got to you." David finished with a kind smile perhaps they could help him too.

\---

"I'm so, so sorry." Mary Margret told him once he had finished telling them his full story.

"We'll make sure that George pays for this." David promised him.

"I have a plan to do with that." Edward told the younger pair.

"But first," David said, "how is she?"

"Is she okay?" Mary Margret asked anxiously.

Edward hesitated. "I'm worried about her," he admitted honestly, "but she's strong."

"How about her asthma?" Mary Margret asked.

"The sooner she gets out of there the better. Which is where we have an opportunity." Edward told them his tone suddenly became almost business like. "George is planning to get you alone tomorrow, to _kill_ you both, in front of Emma. He trusts me after I swore loyalty to the 'true leader of Storybrooke', he presumed that I meant himself, but he will never be that; I'm pretty sure the true leaders of this town are you two."

"We're just trying to do the right things to keep people safe." Mary Margret told him humbly.

Edward smiled her answer had proved his suspicions right. "I've helped George plan out what's going to happen tomorrow. If you have a map I can show you where George will be and all his men, I can also show you where the manor is hidden, but you can't send anyone there until Emma is out; I can't guarantee her safety otherwise."

"Where is the house?" Mary Margret furrowed her brows while David passed over the map they had been using. "We've been searching everywhere but we've not even found a sign."

"It's hidden in the woods." Edward marked onto the map where it was.

"But that's past the town line." David said sounding confused.

"No, everyone just thinks that's where the town line is, but really it goes out much farther than people realise."

"You can keep Emma safe until tomorrow?" Mary Margret asked as she stared at the map with the location of her daughter on it.

"I can keep her alive, but I might not be able to do anything too obvious with getting her killed, she already has a broken arm… I think she might be spending some time in hospital, but the main problem with be Robert's nightmares, but I think she might only accept help with that from the two of you."

"Emma's right, you're a good man, Edward." David held out his hand to shake his.

"I have a trunk full of stolen food and alcohol." Edward informed him.

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that."

"Thank you. Now, let's get to work, I don't have much time."


	23. Chapter 23

Even with snow carpeting the ground outside, Granny's diner was warm; partially as the oven had been on since before the sun had rose, and partially because the diner had been full of volunteers since those early hours. Mary Margret and David had been the first to turn up, and had thanked the woman yet again for her generosity, she had simply waved their kind words off it was the least she could do; besides she considered them and Emma to be part of her family. Robin and his Merry Men had arrived next and had been fed, and drank coffee, before they had headed out and were waiting for George's men in the woods (who would be waiting for David and Mary Margret's to be finished, before going out into the town).

A few hours had passed since they had got there it was now closer to midday than daybreak, and to say everyone was anxious would be an understatement. Mary Margret was walking around the diner, a cup of coffee in hand, talking to people and making sure that everyone knew exactly what their roles was and when they had to be in position.

David would be pacing around the diner, but Henry had sat next to him, trapping him in the booth. Henry was drumming his fingers on the cover of his closed story book. David pushed his own anxiety deep down when he noticed his grandson's anxiety. "Is Edward's story in there?" David smiled. "He said it wouldn't be, he didn't think that he was important enough for it to be in there." He added sadly.

Henry frowned confused. "Everyone's stories are important." He opened up the book up to the start of Edward's story, he stared at the picture of a younger Edward, before his face was mutilated. "Are you going to send Edward out of town too?"

David leaned back slightly to get a better look at Henry's face. "Well, what do you think?" he stalled.

"He _did_ kidnap my mom…" Henry hesitated for a second. "But he was in an impossible situation, he thought George would kill his family, he was already too late, but wouldn't most people do that to protect their family? I know we have to try find a third way but what if there wasn't one?"

David smiled proudly down at Henry, any other person would be much less understanding, but Henry was always thinking of others. "You're a good kid. I agree, he should be given another chance, we'll work something out with him." His own words reminded him of something. He pulled a folded up piece of paper out of his back pocket and handed it to Henry.

"What's this?" Henry asked looking at the names on the list.

"Those are the rest of the names that Edward gave me, can you look over them while we're taking George down, match them to their stories and work with Granny to match anything we know about them in town?"

"Okay, but why do you need me to?"

"These were the people who originally went over to George because they claimed Robert gave them dreams, though the ones with the stars Edward doubted, but the dreams stopped when Emma starting having her nightmares. They could have tried to walk away, I want to know if George had an impact on any of their stories, if he hasn't we might end up having some doing community service or something."

"Okay." Henry smiled, he'd much rather be out there helping his family, but he didn't want anything to go wrong because they were trying to watch out for him too.

"Thanks kid."

"Is my mom going to have to go to hospital again?"

"Yeah, she's not exactly been in the best place to recover so she's gotten pretty ill again, but we'll have her back on the right track within no time." David assured his grandson sensitively, but Henry started to laugh, making David very confused.

"Well, last time she was in hospital all she wanted to do was go home, that's why she kept trying to escape; she's probably going to be even worse this time." He explained with a smirk.

"Oh god." David threw his head back with an overdramatic groan.

"I bet you five dollars she asks to go home within twenty-four hours." Henry smiled as Mary Margret walked over to them.

Before she had a chance to ask them what they had been talking about David's phone buzzed.

' **The plan is in motion- Edward.'**

*OUAT*

George smiled as he looked at the grandfather clock, things were _finally_ going his way, and within a few hours David would be out of his way, and George will have started to take over the town. "Let's go." He told Robert, Edward, and Kane. "Go get the girl ready." He said to no one in particular.

Robert stepped forward first. "I'll get her ready." He said with a smile and a glint in his eye.

Edward stepped forward hearing his words, he didn't know what Robert was planning to do, but he didn't like the look in his eye when he said it. "No need; I'll get her."

Robert turned on Edward. "Is there a reason you want to get her? Have you got _feelings_ for the _princess_?" he smirked.

Edward could feel George's eyes on him as well. "Don't be absurd, I just want to make sure that she's conscious enough to watch the end of her parents, otherwise this will all be pointless and we won't be able to control her as well."

George nodded slowly, he was glad that Edward had mentioned that, but he also thought it would be good to see Mary Margret and David suffer for the brief moments that they saw their daughter. "Robert you can get her; make sure she's not _too_ injured."

When Robert brought Emma up from the basement she could barely walk, let alone breathe, she was clearly exhausted, slightly out of it, the handcuffs around her wrists so tight that blood can be seen on her skin. Her broken arm was double the size of the other one and bent painfully in her handcuffs, the bruises on it looked like they were soon about to be joined by one on her eye.

"Well, if it isn't the princess," George goaded, "you've looked better."

Despite how clearly ill Emma was feeling and how she was struggling to keep her eyes open, though one was almost fully shut due to it starting to swell up, she managed to muster up enough energy to speak. "Get fucked."

The next thing she knew Robert was bringing down his elbow hard into her stomach, which was already sore from him doing the same thing while they were in the basement, she couldn't help but to double over; before she was unceremoniously wrenched back up to a standing position.

George moved closer to her like a predator closing in on their prey. "Let's see if we can't fix that bad attitude with a little car ride." He grabbed onto her uninjured arm with a vice grip and dragged her out of the mansion.

Outside Kane opened the trunk before he walked back to the front of the car and got into the driver's seat. Robert let himself into the back seat, leaving two seats for George and Edward in the middle of the car.

George nodded at Edward, who was at his side, who then lifted Emma and laid her down in the trunk; as George was watching him he couldn't even try to lift her gently or to reassure her.

George looked down at Emma with a cruel smile. "Enjoy your little nap." He said before slamming the trunk shut and leaving Emma in the dark.

*OUAT*

_Emma was so hungry, but she had already been told that she wasn't allowed to eat, and considering how angry her foster mother had seemed she didn't think that it was worth chancing it._

_She had gotten into a fight at school that day, one of the older boys was bullying a younger kid, she had stepped in to tell him to shove off only to be met with a punch in the face; naturally she had responded with a punch of her own._

_She had been sent to the principal's office, she had only met her once as she had not been at that school for long, the principal had looked disappointed when she saw Emma though her face softened slightly when she realised that Emma was holding ice on her eye. Emma had been told that it was good that she wanted to stick up for people, but she went about it the wrong way, she was suspended for two days; and told that next time she should tell an adult – apparently she didn't know that Emma had already given up on believing that adults would_ ever _help._

 _Emma was now stood in the corner of the immaculate dining room, waiting for her foster father to get home, her cheek was stinging from where her foster mother had slapped her. She didn't regret the fight, despite all its many consequences, it was the right, the_ honourable _, thing to do. She only wished that she had gotten to eat her lunch first, as the next time that she was guaranteed to get food was when she would be allowed back to school and could get her free school lunch._

_The dream flickered and suddenly she was stood in the corner in the loft. The same fear, and apprehension, was in her stomach, and her cheek still stung._

*OUAT*

Edward restrained himself from tapping his fingers on the inside of the car door, he didn't want George to know how nervous he really was, though George sat beside him he seemed to be lost in his own thoughts. Robert was dozing in the back and was, undoubtedly, torturing Emma with dream. They were being driven by Kane around empty lanes in the outskirts of the town, a route which George had picked on purpose to make the trip as uncomfortable as possible for Emma; her exhaustion meant that she was stay asleep, but she would be getting slightly banged up.

"How long until we go to the Toll Bridge?" he asked the king.

George finally turned to face Edward; his eyebrows rose as he wondered why he was being questions.

"My legs are cramping." Edward said gruffly. "And I've been waiting a lifetime for a proper fight."

George's face twisted into a cruel smile which made Edward feel sick to his stomach. "Well, let's give David a call."

*OUAT*

"Where the hell is my daughter, George?" David demanded as soon as he picked up the phone.

"Well, that's no was to talk to your father." George mocked.

"You're _not_ my father, and we both know it. Now, tell me where the _hell_ my daughter is, otherwise when I catch you it'll be a _whole_ lot worse for you."

"I'm quaking in my boots." George laughed. "If you're so keen to see her I'll meet you in an hour at the Toll Bridge. You and Mary Margret can meet me _alone_ at half eleven. And I mean alone, shepherd, or I'll slit your little girl's throat."

*OUAT*

David had taken the phone call on speaker phone, but even when he pressed hang up, the diner stayed in silence. But David only had eyes for his wife, he saw the fear behind her eyes at George's threat, it was the same fear which he was feeling. He took hold of her hand and squeezed it in a gesture meant for them to share each other's strength, he didn't look go even as their fear alleviated; instead he looked over at Henry. "Don't worry, kid, I won't let anything happen to Emma."

Henry nodded in return and tried to smile. "I know you won't gramps."

David finally looked around at the diner full of faces, Mary Margret at his side doing the same, with their hands still clasped they started to speak to the group.

"Robin and his Merry Men have already taken out George's men in the woods, and the men are now watching them at the hospital." David announced.

"Ruby and Skye will be waiting on one side of the tree line next to the Toll Bridge, and Killian and Regina will be on the other side, as soon as we have Emma you're to come help; but remember Edward is working with us, and the driver, Kane, has been controlled by Robert's dreams." Mary Margret told the group.

"Everyone else will be with Fredrick and Sean at the manor; Robin is going to meet you there."

"Regina, you have the cuff for Robert?" Mary Margret asked.

"We'll stick it on him as soon as possible, Henry and Captain Guyliner told me a story which helped me remember about some magic which will make it even stronger, and invisible to people from this realm who aren't in Storybrooke." She replied.

"Killian, if you reach Emma before Regina has an opportunity to, will you be able to get the cuff off her with your hook?" David asked, both he and Mary Margret had keys to handcuffs which Edward had told them would be around Emma's wrists, but the magical cuffs were much harder to get off and often required a magic user or certain objects like Killian's hook to get them off.

"Of course mate." Killian nodded.

"Thank you." David said genuinely. He remembered how Emma had had bad dreams about her magic messing up, and he didn't want his daughter to still fear her own magic, or feel like her family feared it. They'd just have to make sure that Emma wasn't using her magic until she was fully recovered; which was probably easier said than done.

"Henry, we'll let you know when we've gotten Emma safe, and you can see her as soon as you're allowed." Mary Margret told the teen and she hugged him tightly.

*OUAT*

" _You couldn't be quiet for one hour while I watched the game?!" David growled he pushed her so she stumbled backwards and fell to the floor._

 _She felt as though she was having an out of body experience, she was trapped inside of her own body watching everything happen, the words came out of her mouth automatically as her altered memory played out. She_ knew _it wasn't… but it just felt_ so _real._

" _But it wasn't me!" Emma protested, it hadn't been her, it was one of her foster parent's birth kids. They didn't even sound alike, but she always got blamed. She, on the other hand, knew not to even breathe while her foster father was watching football games or while her foster mother was watching her trashy shows: of course this wasn't her foster parents talking to her, this time it was her_ actual _parents being used like puppets for her memory._

" _Don't talk back to back to David!" Mary Margret snarled. Even when the curse had just only just broken Mary Margret always referred to David as Emma's father- so to have her call him David, to have David_ not _be her father… well it was horrible._

" _You've been nothing but a thorn in our side since you got here."_

" _You're lucky we were kind enough to take you in, anyone else would have thrown you back to the gutter you came from."_

_Emma tried to retreat back into herself, as she did when she was a kid, be whether it was because she was in the dream, or because it was her parents (dream or otherwise) saying it, the words were harder to block out; the usual words she had heard often over the years from various people- 'stupid', 'annoying', 'worthless'._

" _A complete waste of our time and money!"_

" _You don't spend your money on me!" Emma spat. "You barely even spend the money you get given, for me, on me." As the words left her mouth she knew it was the wrong thing to say._

*OUAT*

"What's taking them so long?" David grumbled.

Mary Margret took hold of his hand to stop his anxious pacing. "Because we're here fifteen minutes early." She brought him in closer to kiss away at least some of his nerves, when they pulled apart they stared into each other's eyes, the kiss hadn't helped that much as worry was still reflected in their eyes; but so was determination. "Do you think Emma's okay?" she asked her husband quietly.

"Truthfully?" He asked and watched her nod slowly. "I'm not sure. I but I do know that no matter how ill she is we're going to get her well again, and she's _never_ going to go through this again."

"I just hope that she'll talk to us about her dreams now, I don't even want to think about how bad they've been with this… _bastard_ … in the same place as her."

David looked down at the snow and scuffled his feet. "I don't know if she'll want to talk to me, the last thing I did, before I _left_ her to get kidnapped, was shout at her."

"She'll forgive you." Mary Margret watched him shake his head. " _Charming,_ " she implored, "She loves you, she will understand."

Before David could speak a car drew closer to them then came to a halt. Mary Margret took hold of her bow and readied herself to get an arrow out of her quiver, if she needed to be, while David unsheathed his sword. The back door opened and out climbed George who smiled coldly at Mary Margret and David as though he had already won. With his coat open they could see that he had a gun. George was joined by Edward, Kane, and lastly Robert.

"Oh," George tried his best to look innocent but he found it hard to keep the arrogant smile off his face, "apparently you _do_ care about your daughter, then perhaps you shouldn't have left her in the first place."

"Shut up." Mary Margret growled.

"Where is our daughter?" David snarled.

George nodded to Edward who walked towards the trunk.

*OUAT*

Emma jerked awake when the car finally came to a stop. She tried to shove the panic aside from being in the claustrophobic trunk, the small space similar to the closet she had been repeatedly locked in as a child. She tried to focus instead on the pain in her stomach where Robert had punched her, her legs where Robert had kicked her when she had fallen, and her eye from where he had punched her. But the main thing she couldn't help but focus on, despite her best efforts, was how little air there was.

But then the trunk suddenly opened, she squinted in the change of light up at Edward, somehow she had gotten even colder.

*OUAT*

Edward lifted her out of the trunk, he supported most of her weight as he led her over to the group of people; but her eyes were on her parents, they looked so real, but then they also had her dreams. She searched for her mom's eyes, that's how she'd know, but her own eye was making it hard to do so. She tried to walk closer to her parents, dream or not, she loved and missed them. She felt George grab hold of her arm and pull her to painfully kneel on the snow covered ground. She refrained from swallowing when George pressed a sword, he had borrowed from Edward, against her throat.

"It's going to be okay, Emma." Mary Margret called over to her daughter who was looking petrified.

"Drop your weapons or I slit your daughter's throat right in front of you."

Mary Margret and David slowly placed their bow and sword down.

"Now, Emma," George kept the sword pressed Emma's throat as he took out his gun, "watch as I shoot your 'mommy'".

David tried to stand in front of Mary Margret as George pointed the gun at her, but Mary Margret tightly took hold of his arm, so he had to stand beside her as she held her stand; not caring about the weapon pointed at herself only the one held to Emma.

"I told you that I would stop your happy ending." George smirked at David, as he aimed the gun at Mary Margret's heart, how poetic that it should be her heart to be shot when it was her heart that put her in the situation in the first place.

Edward swiftly knocked the gun out of George's hand, he tried to grab hold of it himself, but it fell into the snow.

George threw Emma to the ground, and rounded on Edward with Edward's own sword in his hand. "What the hell are you doing?" he demanded he stalked towards him with the word.

Mary Margret and David dived towards their weapons, David reached his sword first and threw it to Edward, who luckily managed to catch it.

Mary Margret noticed Robert reaching into his pocket to pull out another gun out of his pocket, to aim it while he could… at David. She quickly plucked an arrow, shot it, and managed to hit Robert in the shoulder; he staggered backwards and fell against the car. But Mary Margret didn't stop to watch the blood drain from his face in pain, he wouldn't die, and she had other priorities. She ran over to Emma's side.

David was running over to Edward to help him as George was holding his own, he didn't even notice that he no longer had a sword.

"David!"

David's head shot around as he heard Skye shout to him, he continued towards where George and Edward had moved quickly away from the group, he saw a sword flying through the air; as he caught it he realised that Skye had thrown her own sword to him, he told himself that he'd thank her later. He started to run towards George and Edward.

Mary Margret helped Emma sit up, she wanted to bring her in to hug her and not let her go, but her breathing was fast and shallow so Mary Margret needed to help her calm it before they could get her to the hospital. She took Emma's face between her hands, looking worriedly at Emma's grey face and her blue lips. "I need you to breathe for me baby, we're going to get you help, but just hang on. It's okay, I'm here for you now, your dad and I are here." She unlocked the metal handcuffs on her wrists, she winced when she saw the deep cuts on both of them and how swollen and bruised one of her arms was. She brought an inhaler out of her coat to see if it would help Emma's breathing, however it didn't do much good, she tried to keep Emma awake and mimicking her breathing.

"Mom?" Emma's voice wasn't even strong enough to whisper, but she could now see that the green of her mom's eyes weren't surrounded by the red like Robert's, it really _was_ her mom.

"Yeah sweetheart, it's me, I'm here." She took off her own coat to wrap around Emma who was shivering, then felt for her temperate, she was shocked to feel how hot Emma was; they really needed to get her to the hospital. "Emma, I need you to copy my breathing, okay? Breathe in, and out, nice and slow."

"Swan!" Killian skidded to a halt next to Mary Margret and Emma, he tore through the magic cuff on her wrist with his hook, before he pushed himself back up to go and help the others. Kane was still in his mind-controlled state and looked confused as though he might start fighting them. Killian decided to put handcuffs on him so that he wouldn't end up getting himself hurt.

Skye and Ruby were helping take Robert down so that Regina would be able to place the magic cuffs on him, even though he had an arrow sticking out of his shoulder, he wasn't going down without a fight.

-  
David finally managed to knock away George's sword, he was about to place his own sword in its scabbard, when George stood behind George and held his sword to the king's throat.

"I've been waiting to do this since you took my family all those years ago." Edward growled into George's ear.

"Edward, no, don't do this." David tried to get the man's attention.

George was still shocked that Edward had betrayed him but he wasn't going to let it show. "Then why didn't you?"

"I had to get Emma out, get her safe, I had to make an atonement."

"They won't forgive you." George aggravated " _You_ still took her."

"Don't listen to him Edward!" David shouted he finally gained the attention of Edward. "You were in an impossible situation. But you can't sink to his level, if we start to kill everyone who does us wrong, that'd make us as bad as them."

"He killed my family" Edward roared.

"I know." David said sympathetically. "And that is unforgivable, but he _wants_ you to kill him he doesn't fear death as he has nothing to lose, don't give him an easy way out." As he spoke David slowly moved closer to the pair.

Edward hesitated for a moment, so obviously and understandably torn, his sword fell to the ground it's clattering silenced by the snow, and Edward followed it, sinking to his knees as the weight of the past almost fifty years, the good and bad, fell upon him.

George glared at David. "You have no backbone, not even willing to kill someone who took your-"

David punched George squarely in the face, knocking the older man unconscious with one punch, and finally silencing his drivel.

As Regina made her way towards George with shackles ready to transport him to her vault for holding, David took back his sword from Edward. Kane was now calmer and handcuffed, Ruby was holding tightly onto Robert and looking entirely unsympathetic to his whimpering of pain at the arrow in his shoulder, meanwhile Skye made her way to Edward she did not speak but placed a comforting hand on his shoulder; David now knew that he would be in good hands. Regina nodded to him to let him know that she could take care of all of this and he took off running to his wife and daughter.

*OUAT*

Emma looked even worse than she had the day that David had first taken her to hospital, even worse than she had when she was lifted out of the truck, very few times in their lives had Mary Margret and David been as scared as they were at that moment.

Emma managed to look up when she felt a large hand gently stroke her cheek, she had never seen her dad look at her quite so worriedly, she wanted to reassure him that she'd be okay but she wasn't sure if that would be the truth or not.

"David we need to get her to hospital now."

David nodded back at Mary Margret who was starting to try pry Emma's hand off of her so that he would be able to lift her up.

"Shhh, it's okay kiddo," as soon as David had lifted Emma up she had groaned in pain, "it's okay, Em, mommy and daddy are here it's okay." He spoke to her as though he would a small child as they made their way, as fast as they could muster, to the truck.

Once they got there, he gently placed Emma in the middle, before he rushed around to the driver's side. Mary Margret climbed in next to Emma, and put her arm around her daughter, so that Emma was resting her head against her mother. In the close confinement of the truck both parents could hear how fast and wheezy Emma's breathing was, and how she made noises of pain with each breath. Her teeth were chattering as se shivered. Mary Margret leaned forward, care not to move Emma too much as she did so, and reached into the glove compartment as David started to drive; she pulled out Emma's blanket, she wrapped it around her daughter to try and comfort her slightly, but in her current state it was unclear whether or not Emma even noticed.


	24. Chapter 24

Mary Margret looked down at Emma who was shivering against her, her daughter's face was as white as a sheet, she was still gasping desperately for breath as her teeth chattered. Mary Margret could feel her burning up against her and her lips were tinged blue.

Emma tried to pull her blanket, and mother's coat, closer around her helplessly trying to warm herself; but she stopped, whimpering in pain, when a sharp pain shot down her arm. With her other, unbroken, arm she was clinging to her mother; scarcely believing she was actually there but completely unwilling to let her go.

"Shhh I know it hurts, baby," Mary Margret felt David step even harder upon the gas, "we're almost there." She felt Emma nod her head, though it was possible it was just due to the truck's movements, or she had started to fall asleep again; either way she was currently too ill to form words properly. "Copy my breathing sweetie, in and out, in… and out…" she tried to cajole and Emma tried her best to copy her but she was clearly unable to do so.

Mary Margret continued to try her best to soothe her daughter, but truthfully, she was terrified herself. Her daughter, her little girl, was seriously ill. The baby she had carried for nine months, who she had been so worried about when she had got hiccups while in the womb, that despite Doc's and her handmaidens assurances she had sat up all night in worried, David had of course joined her, he had wrapped his arms around his wife and rubbed her swollen stomach; the hiccups had soon faded of course, but they had been so scared, they were after all first time parents, it was only natural for them to be so worried.  
But now, Emma was really in danger, so Mary Margret held her even tighter; though she was careful not to hurt her; Emma clung even tighter onto her mother's jumper in response.

David stopped abruptly in front of the hospital doors, there was no time to waste trying to find a parking space in the car park, this was a real emergency. He looked over at Emma who sat was next to him, curling into her mother, and looking worse by the second. He climbed as quickly as he could out of the truck, and sped over to the other side, when he got there Mary Margret was trying to get Emma to let go of her so that he could pick her up.

"Emma, sweetie, it's okay I'm not leaving you; your dad's going to carry you inside."

David watched as Emma noticed him, finally, through feverish eyes. Mary Margret took advantage of her distraction to pry her hands off of her. David swooped in, and took Emma into his arms along with her blanket and Mary Margret's coat, Emma's eyes never left his face. "Hey kiddo." He said softly, Emma seemed to realise who he was, as her hand now grabbed hold of his jacket with surprising strength. He heard Mary Margret slam the truck door shut, as he rushed towards the E.R, then follow hot on his heels.

As soon as they got inside the doors they were rushed over to a hospital bed, Whale must have heard what was happening as he appeared within seconds. David heard Mary Margret trying to briefly explain what had happened to a nurse, but he was focused on trying to put Emma down, she held tightly onto him tightly with both of her hands, despite any pain she would have felt, David managed to pry her off of him, but Emma started to squirm away from the doctor and the nurses as they tried to place an oxygen mask over her face however the medics won because Emma was simply too weak. Once the mask was on Emma tried to bat it off, David gently took told of her face between his hands, forcing her to look at him. "Emma, calm down princess, me and your mom are here, we're not leaving you." He told her quietly. "Let the doctor help you, mom and dad are here, it's okay kiddo." Either his words worked or Emma had finally become too exhausted to move as she finally let go of him, though she stared at him, her eyes full of worry.

A nurse took Mary Margret's coat off of Emma, along with her blanket, and handed them to Emma, while a couple of other nurses pushed the side rails of the bed up.

"We'll take of her." Whale assured the couple as he led Emma's bed through some doors at a fast pace.

David and Mary Margret went to follow but a nurse stopped them. "I'm sorry you can't go back there, we'll look after her." Mary Margret and David nodded numbly, they just wanted to be with their daughter, but the doctors knew best. Instead they were guided to the family waiting room and handed some forms to fill out about Emma.

"Has she ever broken a bone?" David asked with a frown. "Does it still count if she healed it with magic?"

"Write it down and how she healed it." Mary Margret told him "I think she also broke one when se was a child, but she refused to tell me when, where, or how."

David nodded and wrote it down on the sheet though there were still too many questions on the sheet that they couldn't answer, when Emma started to get better they'd be having a lot of conversations so that if she ever did end up in hospital again her parents would be able to answer all of the questions. They worked together to fill out as much as possible, David made sure to check that Emma's morphine allergy was written down, then put himself and Mary Margret down as her emergency contacts. Once they were finished David handed it back into the reception before returning to his place at Mary Margret's side. He wrapped an arm around his wife's shoulder and felt her lean back against him, they were both watching the door waiting for Whale or _someone_ to come through it and assure them Emma was going to be okay.

Mary Margret was lost in her own thoughts as she toyed with Emma's blanket in her lap.

David was lost in his own thoughts. He thought about all the things he had looked forward to teaching Emma when he found out that they were expecting a baby. He knew straight away that his child, whether boy or girl, would have him wrapped around their finger; and when he found out that they were going to have a daughter that only increased. Some other royals had expected him to be a bit disappointed, after all at the time other kingdoms only counted males as their heirs, however in David and Mary Margret's kingdom males and females were equal. He could imagine him being an attendant at her dolly's tea parties, reading her bedtime stories, teaching her to dance by her standing on his toes, as she got older he probably would have covered for her at balls that neither of them really wanted to attend. Both he and Mary Margret would have taught her how to ride a horse, and the three of them would have taken rides away from the palace, just the three of them until eventually they would have had more children, they'd go on trips to local villages, picnics by lakes, exploring the woods, visits to the circus; they'd have done everything. And of course there would have been harder times, when they would have had to leave her while they went on dangerous diplomatic missions, times when Emma was ill, and he didn't doubt that she would have been able to throw the most spectacular tantrums; but it all would have been worth it.

But that wasn't what had been intended for them. He was so proud of the woman his daughter had grown into, even without Mary Margret and himself around, and perhaps she _had_ learnt some things off of them anyway. They had helped her bring her walls down, he had tried his best to help her learn how to navigate the woods though she still sometimes got lost, and some of his and Mary Margret's cooking skills must be starting to rub off on her as she hadn't set anything accidently on fire in months! But most of the things that she had got hadn't needed to be taught; she was a natural at dancing like her mother, she could more than hold her own in a sword fight, she had the best parts of the both of them.

Ultimatly she is perfect. David thought to himself as he continued to stare at the doors.

*OUAT*

George came to and saw Regina waving her hands around him, the air shimmering slightly as she did so, he could feel the heavy cuffs on his hands and feet, and when he tried to move he was only able to move them minutely.

"You won't be able to move much." Regina told him without even turning around. "And the next time you do, you'll be in the back of a car heading to a hand off with some New York police officers." She finally turned to face him, though she could hardly bare to look at him. "You're going to prison for a _long_ , _long_ , time; where you'll never get back to here, you'll be in a place without magic, and away from anyone you can influence or hurt." She gave a vicious chuckle. "And if you tell anyone that you're a king, they won't believe you, they'll just think that you're mad, you'll be back to the _nothing_ that you really are."

"This was your best opportunity to have your happy ending." George tried to tell her. "You could have stayed here of left with your family, _your son_ , and if you wanted to also that man who you are currently… courting. Snow White would _finally_ be out of your way, and David out of mine. Why would you give that up?" George snarled.

"I have my happy ending now." Regina narrowed her eyes at him. "I learnt that I had to change and make a recompense for how I was in the past, I don't want Mary Margret out of my way anymore, she and her family, and anyone else I might wish to choose, _they_ are _all_ my family now. And my happy ending includes you, _suffering_ , alone and nowhere near here."

Regina stalked out of her vault and sealed it shut, leaving George alone in the darkness.

*OUAT*

It had gone two in the afternoon when Whale finally entered the family waiting room, David and Mary Margret shot up at the sight of him, he smiled kindly at them to let them know that Emma was okay.

"How's our daughter?" David demanded, though the doctor's demeanour was calm, he was still worried about Emma; as was Mary Margret.

"We have her stable now." He told them and braced himself for their reaction to the next bit. "But she is still very ill. She has a broken arm, and a lot of bruising, especially on her stomach but luckily there's no internal bleeding. She's dehydrated and she obviously hasn't been able to eat properly. She has a cut in her hair line which looks as though it has recently reopened; I assume that's where you say she had been hit with the ornament. She also has cuts on her wrists and a couple of broken ribs. But the main worry was her high temperature and her asthma in combination with her pneumonia."

"But she's okay?" Mary Margret demanded, as that certainly didn't sound okay to her.

"We've managed to lower her temperature, her pneumonia has been made worse due to the condition she was kept in, but the cold weather may have actually helped her fever from become in the urgent levels. We cooled her down some by bathing her though she's still rather hot. I've put her on strong painkillers, steroids, and antibiotics; along with helping her with fluids and her nutrients. And treated her other injuries."

David and Mary Margret nodded, they had taken each other's hands while Whale was talking, they tried to take in everything that he was saying.

"Can we see her?" Mary Margret asked.

Whale nodded slowly. "It's important that you know that her immune system is rather compromised right now, I've put her on tablets to help stregthen her immune system, but they won't work in full effect for a few days; so I must insist that you are her only visitors until they're fully working. I'll take you to see her now, she's in the room she was in last time, though she'll probably stay asleep for a while from exhaustion and the strong medication she's on."

*OUAT*

David and Mary Margret walked slowly into the room to see Emma battered and bruised, and hooked up to machines and an I.V with an oxygen mask across her face, and they finally broke down.

Mary Margret's hand shot to her mouth when she noticed that Emma's lips were still tinged blue, her face even paler now it had been washed, now the adrenaline had worn off she was truly able to see how ill her daughter was. She felt David pull her into a tight hug. Neither of them broke their hold or silence for several minutes, their shuddering breaths as tears rolled from their eyes competed for dominance with the beeping of the erratic machines. All the emotions of the past four days weighed down on her.

When they did break away David placed his hands on either side of Mary Margret face. He lowered his head so their lips met. "She's safe now." He breathed.

"She's safe." Mary Margret echoed with a smile on her face. She pulled her husband back down to kiss her again. When they finally pulled away they walked over to their daughter's bed. David gently kissed her too hot forehead before he sat on a chair on her right. Mary Margret stroked her cheek before she tucked Emma's blanket around her.

She looked like hell, but David and Mary Margret had faith. Mary Margret sat in the chair at David's side, he wrapped his arm around her once again, with his other hand he held onto Emma's hand, careful of the bandages around her wrist; he kept hold as they sat watching their daughter sleep, as though they were both reassuring themselves that she was _really_ there.

*OUAT*

Edward found himself stood outside of Granny's it's lights streamed out of the windows and illuminated the cold night air.

After the fight with George he had gone back to the cottage he had lived in since the original curse had brought them to this land. He had been invited by the others to join them at Granny's diner, for a celebration, but he had of course declined. So he had sat in his cold, empty, cottage for hours; and for the first time he found himself not to just be alone, but to be lonely. He had decided to take a long walk, he hoped to exhausted himself, but the adrenaline was still burning inside him. Without realising he walked to the centre of the town, and had ended up outside of the diner.

He stood nervously outside for a few moments, he had been invited, but he wasn't sure if that was just to seem polite. But the idea of going back to his empty cottage gnawed inside him.

When he walked through the door, all the patrons turned at him and stared, conversations all stopped. He was about to leave when he felt a hand on his arm. A young teenage boy had come up to him, he presumed from the boy's looks that he was Emma son, Henry.

"You're Edward, right?"

Edward took a moment to try and speak. "Yes. I… I am. I'm terribly sorry for my part in your mother's. Well, I'm sorry."

"I understand you didn't really have a choice." Henry nodded slowly. "My gramps told me everything, and I read your story in my book." He explained when Edward looked confused.

Edward felt even more confused, although he had heard of the boy's book he didn't think he would be in it, he decided to ask about that another time. "How is your mother?"

Henry's face fell. "My gramps rang me to say that she'll be okay, but she's too ill for me to go see, I won't be allowed to see her for a few days."

Edwards cautiously placed his hand on the boy's shoulder. "Emma seems like she can take on anything, she won't let this get in her way, I'm sure she'll be fighting fit in no time."

Henry smiled at the man's attempt to cheer him up. "Yeah, I think if she tries to fight any time soon, my grandparents will kill her." He joked with a cheeky smile.

Edward gave a hearty laugh, he could tell that Henry's sense of humour was very similar to his mother's. He only just realised that no one had come over to stop him from talking to Henry, in fact when he caught the eye of the man he presumed was Hook, he got a smile and nod in return.

"Were you leaving?" Henry asked with a frown. "But you only just got here."

"Well…I…" he tried to come up with an excuse though he wasn't nearly as anxious to leave.

"At least stay for some hot chocolate." Henry offered.

"I don't think I've ever had that before."

"Well, now you _have_ to stay then."

*OUAT*

It was late into the night and Mary Margret and David were half awake in Emma's hospital room, they had already arranged for Granny and Ruby to look after Neal for the next few days, so they didn't have to worry about leaving Emma just yet, but still neither one wanted to close their eyes and lose sight of Emma. Mary Margret had her head led on David's shoulder as he stroked his thumb rhythmically up and down her arm.

All of a sudden Emma started to cough in her sleep and fuss, moving her head from side to side as though she was shaking her head no. Mary Margret and David shot to their feet, they were now aware of what Emma looked like during the start of a nightmare, and although they knew it wasn't due to Robert anymore, they were still worried. David ran to one side while Mary Margret went to the other. They tried to calm her without waking her up, but her eyes shot open and she looked around wildly, still half asleep. David had his hands on her shoulders applying a light pressure so she wouldn't shoot upright while Mary Margret ran her hands through Emma's hair.

"It's okay Emma, it was just a bad dream, it's okay." She told her daughter.

Emma's eyes stopped looking quite so wild.

"It's okay Emma, we're here, we got you kiddo." David could feel Emma starting to relax.

"Your dad's right, baby, we're not going to leave you, and you'll be better in no time." Mary Margret assured as Emma started to close her eyes.

Mary Margret and David continued to whisper pleasantries until Emma's breathing slowed down again, her eyes stayed shut, and she completely relaxed.

"Mommy and daddy will keep you safe." David whispered to her as he bent down to kiss her head.

"Mommy. Daddy." Emma echoed slowly in her sleep, her voice was slightly distorted through the mask, but the words shone out like flood lights to David and Mary Margret.

David and Mary Margret shared a look of love with each other over their sleeping daughter.


	25. Chapter 25

_Emma was surrounded by darkness yet again. She could feel something close over her face; she must be in the trunk of the car… she must have been dreaming. She felt her breath quicken with panic as she thought about the dream, she dreamt that her parents had saved her, but they hadn't… perhaps they never would…._

*OUAT*

"Emma." David called as he tried to wake Emma up he rubbed his hand up and down her shoulder as he tried to wake her up without having to shake her awake as he didn't want to hurt her. "Wake up kiddo." Mary Margret had stepped out of the room to ring Henry as she had promised him she would do, so David was left to try wake Emma out of her nightmare by himself. He frowned, apparently she would have to be shook awake, but just as he was about to her eyes shot open and she stared around wildly.

Emma tried to get her bearings as she was suddenly transported from the dark car trunk to a room brightly lit by artificial lights. She looked at one side of the room trying to work out where George was, but movement on her other side distracted her, she turned her head to look as she tried to pull whatever was blocking her view from her face.

"Emma, it's okay." David sat down on the side of her bed so he could stop her from pulling the oxygen mask off of her face. "You're at the hospital; you're safe."

It wasn't until David said his soothing words that Emma stopped pulling at the mask and threw herself into his arms, she had wanted to do that since she had caught sight of him, but she didn't think she'd be able to handle it if this turned out to be a dream again; but in her dreams he had spoken so differently, with such unkind, untrusting, and unloving words.

David immediately wrapped one arm around Emma's back and started to stoke circles onto it, with his other hand he gently held her head, he pressed a kiss on top of her hair; three and a half days without her really had been too long. He could her continuing to breathe fast into his shoulder. "Kiddo, I need you to copy my breathing, okay?" he took slow and loud breaths as he matched the circles he was rubbing on her back to his breathing. "In… and out... in…. and out. That's it, Em" he smiled proudly as her breathing matched his pace again. He pulled her away from him slightly while keeping his hands on her arms. "You're okay, Emma." He assured her.

Emma gave him a weak smile in return, a tear spilled from her swollen eye, she hoped her father wouldn't notice it but he quickly wiped it from her cheek with his thumb; a concerned look was on his face. "You found me." She whispered, half because she was in wonder that they had managed to find her and that they were _all_ safe, and half because her throat was so sore that everything hurt it.

David leant forward and pressed a kiss to her forehead, he then pulled back again and placed his finger under her chin, so she was forced to look into his eyes. "Always." He promised, a small smile was spread on his lips as she seemingly unknowingly used his and her mother's motto. He started to move away from her to get her a drink, although the I.V had done its job of helping her dehydration, she sounded like her throat would benefit from actually drinking some juice.

Emma's hand immediately shot out around David's arm, bringing him to an abrupt halt, she was sure she was becoming annoying to David with her clinginess but she couldn't seem to stop it. She waited for David to shove her hand off of him.

David placed his hand over Emma's cold one, on his arm, as he tried to read her face. "Emma, look over that way," David knew he was speaking to her as if she was around Neal's age but she was tired and ill and scared so he didn't care- and she didn't protest, "see that bottle of juice? I'm going to grab it for you, you need to drink. I won't leave your sight." He switched the oxygen from her mask to a nasal cannula; he remembered that Whale had told them she would be able to use that when she wasn't sleeping, just as she had last time.

Emma relinquished her hold of him, feeling ridiculous, but kept her eyes on him as he pour the juice into the cup. The door to her hospital room clicked shut but David just smiled at whoever entered so she didn't bother to turn her head. She felt herself relax as David walked back over to her and handed her the juice; he stood by her side with his hand on her left shoulder. "Mom." Emma said with a smile when she realised that it was her mother who had entered, along with Doctor Whale who was staring intently at her chart.

"Hello, sweetheart," Mary Margret brushed a strand of golden hair behind her ear, she could see that Emma's eyes were rimmed slightly with red but she didn't want to bring it up in front of Whale, "I'm sorry I wasn't here when you woke up, I was on the phone to Henry."

"Is he okay?" Emma demanded.

"He's fine, he misses you of course, and as soon as he's able to he'll visit." She told her.

"It'll be a couple of days until he's able to visit," Whale interrupted as he walked closer to Emma, "your immune system is very fragile right now."

Emma looked down at the cast on her arm and nodded, she felt her father squeeze her shoulder, but she doubted she would be able to convince either of her parents to sneak Henry in earlier than Whale consented. She looked back up and waited for Whale to begin his inquisition.

"You've had a hell of a time, Emma, how are you feeling?"

"I'm fine." Emma told him quickly. The words were rough against her throat, she hesitantly took a sip of the drink, and found it helped slightly.

"Emma." David said quietly in a firm voice when it became apparent to him that she wasn't planning on answering the doctor's question.

Emma rolled her eyes, causing her black eye to tinge with pain, though less than she had expected it to. "I'm tired." She relented. "And my chest hurts, but only a little, I just kinda ache." She saw her mother look worried at her words.

"Good," Whale said receiving a confused look from Emma, "you're on very strong pain killers, they seem to be helping any pain you're in."

"Oh." Emma said, slightly disappointed, she had hoped that she wasn't in much pain because she wasn't that ill.

Whale moved closer to Emma and started to perform his tests, stopping only to write things down. He finished listening to the wheeze in her chest frowning as he did so. "I'm going to up your dose of steroids, I want to get this out of the way as quickly as possible, especially in this weather." He told her seriously. "It'll also help bring down that eye of yours, and the swelling in your arm." He gently took hold of her un-cast-ed hand and removed the bandage to look at the cuts from the handcuffs.

Emma watched her parents wince as they watched Whale examine them. "I could use my magic to get rid of them." Emma offered though felt a knot in her stomach at the thought of using it after all that had occurred when she used it in her dreams.

"No," Whale told her seriously, "right now you're too ill to use it, even if you could get it to work it would probably completely exhaust you." He told her as he applied an ointment to the cut and wrapped it up once more in clean bandages.

Emma rolled her eyes a little at his dramatics, now that he had told her not to do it she kind of wanted to, she didn't think that anyone had seen her roll her eyes but apparently they had.

"Emma." David said sternly from next to her, he waited for her to look up at him before he continued, in the same stern voice. "You're not going to try to use your magic, are you?"

Emma felt her cheeks burn at being chastised by her father in front of the doctor. "No?" she shot him a small smile.

David shot her a warning look "Good." He said quietly as he tried not to embarrass her further, a smile tugged at his lips at the sight of her smile, though she still looked extremely frail at least she was starting to show glimpses of her old self.

"Okay, everything seems to be in order." Whale told her as he filled in a few boxes on the chart. "You're going to be very tired for the next few weeks, so I'd recommend getting as much sleep as you can, your body needs it to repair itself. I'm going to have them give you mainly soft foods as they'll be easier on your throat," he looked at David then at Mary Margret, "don't be too worried if she doesn't eat all of it, her body will have quickly gotten used to not eating much, so long as she eats as much as she can."

"We'll make sure that she does." Mary Margret told him with a thankful smile.

Whale nodded and made his way to the door. "A nurse will be in to do your obs in about an hour Emma."

*OUAT*

When the door shut behind the doctor, David moved to sit on the bed next to Emma near her hip and Mary Margret moved to sit on the other side next to her knees, from the looks on their faces Emma presumed that they were about to all have a conversation; one which Emma doubted she would enjoy. "I think we might be cursed again- Whale didn't say a single sarcastic comment." She tried to distract them but started to cough.

David handed Emma back the glass of juice from the side table and waited for her to stop coughing. Mary Margret wasn't aware why they were about to have a conversation with Emma so he led it once their daughter had finished her coughing. "Em, did you have a nightmare earlier?"

Emma tried to look away from her father but felt her mother's hand on her knee.

"Emma, tell us, please." She requested. "We can't help you unless you tell us."

"I was back in the trunk of the car… I didn't think you were going to turn up." She admitted quietly.

David wiped away tears which Emma didn't even realise had fallen. "That's why you looked so surprised to see me?" he asked her softly.

Emma nodded a little and looked up guilty at her parents.

"We'll always come and find you Emma," Mary Margret told her, "and we're not going to let anything like that _ever_ happen to you again."

"It was good thinking of you to convince Edward to come to us, Em." David smiled proudly at her.

Emma looked back at him with a smile, it faltered when she remembered what he had told him to share with her parents in order to convince them, she wondered for a moment if they needed to be told. "…And you guys just accepted it because you have good instincts?" she asked as subtly as she could.

"It took a little bit of persuasion." Mary Margret said pointedly.

Emma sunk down in her bed slightly, feeling the pull on her ribs as she did so, she bit her the corner of her lip. "I didn't lie… I just didn't tell you." She waited for them to shout or to just walk out.

David turned Emma's chin so that she was looking into his eyes again. "Why didn't you tell us kiddo?" he asked her just as gently as he had before.

Emma frowned at the disappointment in his tone but she realised she shouldn't have been surprised at that reaction; this was the exact reaction which was fitting to who they were. She shrugged a little but realised that wasn't going to cut it. "You guys were busy trying to catch George, before he got to Neal, I couldn't distract you from that."

Mary Margret and David both shook their heads.

"Emma," as Mary Margret spoke David let go of Emma's chin so she would look at her mother, "when I was pregnant with Neal I told you that no matter what's going on you can always talk to us, or to just one of us if we're busy with Neal; but no matter what at least one of us would be there to talk to you and to listen."

"But this wasn't some sibling jealousy thing," Emma said remembering the numerous conversations the two of them had and even more conversations with the three of them, "this was a villain thing."

"Which doubles what your mother is saying. Em, when we were in Neverland and I got shot with that arrow I realised that I should never keep things from my family, even if other things are happening at the same time." David placed his hands on his hips as he spoke. "Keeping things from my family I put my life in danger, I know that the dreams didn't put your life in danger, but that lesson applies to you too."

Emma squirmed under his stern look. "Well… kinda…"

Mary Margret crossed her arms across her chest and looked inquisitively at her daughter. "What do you mean?"

"Robert tried to manipulate me through my dreams, he wanted me to fall under their control and to use my magic for them." Emma frowned as she remembered that place. "George wanted to take Neal as well, he said that if I was good I'd be able to help look out for Neal still, I'd be George's 'heir' and Neal could be protected; if not he was going to raise him to be a replacement for… well for James." Emma's voice cracked slightly as she spoke again. "They kept trying to convince me that you were dead… when that didn't work they tried to torment me with dreams about you, but it wasn't really you, it was some of my old foster homes." She felt two pairs of arms suddenly embracing her.

Mary Margret kissed Emma's head where it was hidden in David's shoulder; she had something to tell him but she thought it was best to not do that in front of Emma, she could feel Emma lean further into them, apparently the short amount of time she had been awake was already starting to tire her. Eventually she and David pulled away and carefully led Emma back against the upright bed so she'd be more comfortable and hopefully fall asleep.

"Robert's not going to be able to send you anymore dreams ever again. Regina put a cuff on him, and in a couple of days he'll be moved to a state prison, he'll never be able to hurt you again." David promised her with fierce determination. "And George is being moving to a prison in New York today; he is _never_ getting anywhere near you _ever_ again."

Emma nodded convinced by her father's tone but she still felt slightly… well, terrified. "Wait," she frowned, "New York?"

"I know," David nodded he should really be transferred somewhere in Maine, "but Regina may have helped out with that a little bit, I don't know or _want_ to know what she did; but what matters is he's going a long, long way away."

Emma nodded again and let the information sink in. "Does this mean I'm not in trouble for hiding my dreams from you two?" she asked cheekily.

David and Mary Margret shared a look of amusement above Emma's head.

"I think you being on bed rest for at least a month counts as being grounded." Mary Margret chuckled.

Emma looked as though she was about to protest but she was interrupted by a long yawn.

"I think it's time you get a little sleep." David smiled fondly down at her and he and Mary Margret got to their feet.

Emma feel the ball of nerves appear in her stomach again. "Bu- but you're staying, right?" she asked looking side to side at her parents.

"I'm going to go get you some things for when you're in here, and your dad and I a change of clothes," Mary Margret tucked Emma's blankets around her on the side she was stood on, "but I'll stay until you fall asleep."

"And I'll be with you the whole time." David informed her.

*OUAT*

Once Emma had fallen asleep, Mary Margret took David's hand and led him to the other side of the room.

"What's wrong?" David asked quietly, he placed his hands on Mary Margret's cheeks and looked lovingly into her eyes.

"Regina asked me if I wanted to speak to George before he gets moved." She told him cutting to the chase.

"And you're going to?" David sighed.

"David it's going to be our last chance to talk to him," she insisted "and I have a few choice words to give to him over this; this is the second time he's tried to take our babies from us."

"Third." David reminded her. "He tried to take you and Emma from me when you were stuck in the Enchanted Forest."

"I want to make sure he's definitely gone from our lives; and what will happen to him if he ever even thinks about hurting Emma, or anyone in our family, ever again."

David sighed looking from his wife to his daughter and back again. "I doubt I'm going to be able to stop you, am I?" he dropped his hands to his side.

Mary Margret shook her head.

"Just be careful, _please_." He implored.

Mary Margret took hold of him by his jacket, pulled him down towards her and captured him in a long kiss. "I will, and Regina will be there anyway."

"Okay." David nodded a little before kissing her again.

"I'm going to see Neal beforehand." Mary Margret moved away from him and started to gather her things.

David helped her into her coat. "Give him a kiss from his daddy."

"I will, I'll tell Henry you said hi too, I said he could help me pack Emma a bag." She sent a forlorn look at Emma who looked so small asleep in the bed.

David pulled Mary Margret into another kiss. "I'll hold down the fort," he kissed her yet again, "now go or will be here all day." He smirked.

"Okay, I love you." She said as she started to walk out of the room.

"I love you too, stay safe."


	26. Chapter 26

Mary Margret's next stop, after spending some time with her son, was Regina's vault.

"Remember, he can barely move with the shackles on him," Regina told her, "but he will be able to speak. "

Mary Margaret's eyes were trained on the door of the vault, her eyes were filled with determination and a barely contained anger which made even Regina want to keep a distance. She finally turned and looked at Regina. " I'm not afraid of him, he should be afraid me, and the only reason that he isn't dead right now is because Emma and Henry asked us not to. "

She allowed Regina to lead her through the stone door, past the main entrance, and into a little room. Regina's potions and secret items, which Mary Margaret didn't really want to know about, were all hidden from view; and shackled to the centre of the floor was King George. He had a black eye from where David had punched him, which Mary Margaret couldn't help but feel happy about, and several other cuts and bruises from his fight with Edward. When he heard the shoes of Mary Margaret and Regina clicking on the stone floor and into the room, in which he was being held, he managed to sit up.

"Well," a snarl slid across George's face, "I didn't expect to see you here. If anyone, I was expecting see David. Perhaps he just doesn't care, or perhaps, you just don't _really_ want to spend time with your daughter… How is Emma anyway? She was looking a little worse for wear last time I saw her."

Mary Margaret glowered down at him. "Don't you dare, _ever_ , so much as say my daughter's name again; or the punch to the face which my husband gave to you will feel like a love bite. And if we really didn't care about our daughter you wouldn't be alive right now, she's the one who refuses to let us settle this how we would have done back home. "

"Well, if you not hit kill me, what do you want? "

"I'm here to tell you that you've lost, again. You're going far away from this town when nobody will ever know who you are; if you try to tell anyone you're meant to be king of the fairy tale world, or fairy tale town, they will just think that you are crazy. "

"You really think you will ever be rid of me? " George smirked. "Do you think I won't find some way to come back? And when I do, and rest assured I _will_ , things will be even worse for your daughter."

Mary Margaret just shook her head at George's threat a small smile played her lips, but wasn't her kind normal smile, it was a cold and cruel smile which sent a shiver down even George's spine. "If you even step a foot over the town line I _will_ kill you, and not even Emma will be able to change my mind, and don't think that David wouldn't feel the same."

George was stunned into silence, of course he had heard threats before but he could tell that Mary Margaret wasn't bluffing at all, truth be told that scared him a little. Even Regina had taken a step back to lean against the wall both impressed and slightly scared at Mary Margaret tone, but when she looked into George's eyes he could see that she would also help the couple, apparently she had grown particularly fond of the family she tried so hard to destroy.

Mary Margaret crouched down in front of George and looked him straight in the eye. "And you know that I'm telling the truth. Despite any mistakes I've made in the past I try my best to do the right thing. But here's the thing, you have tried to take my babies from me before; once when you poisoned me but Ruth ruined that plan, then you try to take Emma and I away from David before she even had a chance to know him; you took Emma away from us and you hurt her, not only that but she also told us of your plan to take Neal as well. I will not that you hurt my family, _especially my children_ , ever again. So I don't care whether killing you would be the morally correct choice or not. So this is your last chance, you're going away to prison where you are highly unlikely to get out before you die. If you do, however, I advise you strongly to never step foot in this town, state, or even country again. You can go to Antarctica and freeze, just like you made Emma freeze in a basement for four days, because if you ever even think about coming anywhere near us - I will kill you. I don't care about any reputation about being kind, giving countless chances, or there always being another way- _you will not hurt my family_."

Regina stared down Mary Margaret rather impressed at this new change of character. She remembered how Mary Margaret had reacted to killing Cora, but she couldn't help but think that this was different: George had tried to take Mary Margaret's children away from her far too many times, even more than Regina had, so Regina could not possibly blame her. After all she would do exactly the same the Henry.

Mary Margaret stood up she nodded to Regina, before saying, once again using her usual pleasant voice, "Enjoy prison."

Regina took a step forward with handcuffs, which looked exactly like usual police ones, but as soon as she waved her hand and the handcuffs took the place of the shackles George fell into a deep sleep.

"How – "

"Captain Guyliner lent me a hand, which is impressive considering he only has one." Regina waited for Mary Margret to roll her eyes before she explained. "He and Henry managed to find some things in Henry's book, and apparently Hook has been around a for a very long time and to many different places so he managed to help me make them."

"It's better than trying to coax him into eating an apple, I suppose."

"Yes," Regina smirked, "if only I'd had these back in the Enchanted Forest. "

Mary Margaret rolled her eyes before glowering back down George who was now snoring the cold hard floor. She waited there with Regina to ensure there was no chance of George somehow escaping until Leroy turned up with the sheriff's car. He and Regina were going to drive out of the town in order to handoff George to the police; Leroy to drive and Regina to make sure that nothing went wrong and that the two of them would be able to get back in.

*OUAT*

David managed to rest his eyes for a little while, however some quiet sniffing woke him up. At first he thought that Emma had simply come down with a cold from her time in the basement, but when he managed to open his eyes, he saw Emma half-awake rubbing her eyes and sniffing as though she was trying to stop herself from crying.

He immediately got onto his feet, Emma turned around surprise to see David awake, and rubbed her eyes even more, as though she was trying to wipe away any shred of evidence; but it was too late David had seen her.

As he sat down on the side of the bed he took hold of Emma's hands to stop her from hurting her eyes even further, her swollen one was now bloodshot and looking extremely sore, and her uninjured one was red on the skin around her eyes; it didn't help that she had been rubbing her black eye with the hard plaster of her cast.  
"Hey" David said like a command as Emma tried to pull her hands away from him. "Emma, stop. " He said gently but also firm.

Emma obeyed but looked down so she wasn't looking in his eyes.

"I'm going to go of your hands now, okay? But if you start to rub your eyes like that again, I have to stop you, I don't want you to hurt yourself kiddo. "

"I'm sorry." Emma murmured "I didn't mean to wake you up. " Her voice was still shaky from trying not to cry.

David stroked the side of her arm. "Hey," Emma finally looked up at him, "never apologise for waking me up. In fact, I would like to know why you didn't actually try to wake me up in the first place."

Emma shrugged half-heartedly. "You looked like you needed to get some sleep."

David raised his eyebrows, yes of course he and Mary Margaret were tired they had barely slept in the days since Emma was taken; but Emma had been sleeping worse and for longer so her argument was almost entirely invalid. "You still should have woken me up. " He brushed his thumbs, as gently as he could, against the irritated skin around Emma's eyes. "Now, I would like to know what has made my daughter so upset."

"It's nothing."

"'Nothing', wouldn't have got you in such a state. Em, what did we talk about last night, about you telling your mother and I when something is wrong?" David reprimanded gently as her green eyes looked guiltily into his blue ones.

Emma sighed but then winced at the pain in her ribs, she watched her dad look concerned so she quickly spoke before he decided to go and harass Whale into giving her more painkillers, she really didn't like the spacey feeling which came from them – she didn't want that to increase. "It was just a bad dream. I should be able to handle them by myself; I'm not a little kid."

"Emma your mother and I never think any less of you for needing us, it's what we here for, _especially_ when you've had a bad dream."

"I dreamt that I was back in an old foster home," Emma said quietly "that you sent me away because something had happened to mom, it wasn't a good foster placement."

"Oh, Emma." David sighed.

"I know you wouldn't really do that, but I woke up and mom was gone, so I kind of panicked. " Emma Emma added quickly.

"You're right, you're never getting rid of us, seriously _ever_ – you're stuck with us being overprotective and my _amazing_ jokes forever, " David smiled "whether you like it or not."

Emma gave a weak smile at his joke but it did make her feel a little better. She also felt a little more at ease with David awake, and a little safer, though of course she wished that her mother was there also.

"Now, would you like a hug?" David asked.

Emma was glad that he had offered as she felt a little stupid asking him for one herself. As soon as his arms were around her, she felt much better, as she was able to reassure herself that he was really there and she was safe. "I miss mom. " She muttered into his shoulder.

David pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "Me too. But she will be back here soon". David then moved backward slightly so he could look into her eyes with a serious expression on his face. "Emma, I'd like to apologise to you I shouldn't have shouted at you the other day," David held his hand up to stop her from talking, "and I never should have left you alone especially as I felt like something was off."

Emma frowned. "We were both in bad moods that day; I probably shouted at you just as much, if not more, than you did at me. And if there was even a chance that mom and Neal were in danger I would have made you go no matter how worried you were about me". This time Emma lent forward and rested her head back on David's shoulder, she wasn't usually the one to initiate hugs but she was ill, and having a dad there made her feel a whole lot better. She quickly felt David's arms wrap back around her and his head rested on top of hers.

The nurse took the thermometer out of Emma's mouth, frowned at it, and then wrote the result down on Emma's file. "Are you experiencing any pain?" she asked kindly.

Emma rolled her eyes subtly at the patronising tone. "I'm fine."

David coughed from where he stood at the side of the room.

The nurse continued to look down at Emma expecting a different answer. Emma ignored the looks from her and from David. "I'm fine." She stubbornly insisted.

The nurse looked over to David, sensing that he had a totally different opinion.

He crossed his arms over his chest, walked back over to the bed, and stared sternly at Emma. "She keeps wincing with pain from her ribs; and I think her breathing is still uncomfortable."

Emma shot him an unamused look but stopped when he gave her a look telling her to 'cut it out'.

"Not a problem," the lady smiled amused at the pair dynamic, "we'll just up your pain medication Miss Swan."

Emma nodded slightly though she had a frown on her face. Partially because she didn't really want to have her pain killers heightened- she kept falling asleep as it was-, but another reason was because the name Swan reminded her of her old foster parents and the dream in which her parents turned into them. She had long since let go of the anger, at that being her last name, and she had embraced it being part of her; but she suddenly wished, just marginally, that she had changed it.

David watched Emma looking down, her shoulders tensed, and from what he could see of her face he guessed that she was stuck in her own thoughts – and not in a good way. He placed his hand on her shoulder, and squeezed it gently, he felt her relax under his hand so he kept it resting on her shoulder.

As his thumb stroked her shoulder she thought about her family. Really only Neal and he shared a last name, her mom's last name was still Blanchard, hers was obviously Swan, and Henry's was Mills like Regina. She wondered if her mom had ever thought about changing her last name to match her father's, or if he thought about changing his name to Blanchard, or even White. What would she change hers to? Emma Nolan? Emma Blanchard? Emma Blanchard Nolan? Emma Nolan Blanchard? Emma White? Emma Nolan White? Emma White Nolan? She shook her head, why did they have to have so many different names? Wait, did her father have another last name from the Enchanted Forest? Emma scrunched her eyebrows together and shook her head slightly, while a smile played at her lips, at all the different possibilities for names; but she figured she'd stick with Swan for the time being, it was just as much hers as it was the peoples who looked after her for a few years.

Once the nurse left the room, David looked down at Emma, she no longer looked troubled which put a smile on his face. "What's so funny?"

Emma let out a small chuckle. "Oh, nothing."

*OUAT*

Henry was standing outside of the door when Mary Margret got there. She greeted him with a smile and a hug, it was an odd sight, seeing him outside of the loft waiting for her, but if he was put out from having to do so he made no comment of it. "We'll get you a new key cut as soon as we can sweetie." She told him as she unlocked the door.

"It's okay." He shrugged following her into the cold loft. "But we are painting the door, right? It's weird it not being green anymore."

Mary Margret chuckled as she turned on the heat, there hadn't been a reason to have it on when she and David weren't there, but it had left the loft like an ice box. "Would you like some hot chocolate?" she offered. She wanted to get back to Emma, of course, but she also felt that Henry would benefit from some time being spent with him. Even before he answered she started to get the ingredients out; even if he didn't show it he was probably worried, one of his mothers was driving out of the town with George while his other mother was in hospital because of the man, and hot chocolate always helped their family feel slightly more secure.

"Please." He placed his backpack on the kitchen island. "How's my mom?"

"She's getting better, but it will take a while," she squeezed his hand gently, "she misses you."

"I miss her too." He started to root through his backpack. "When will I be able to see her?"

Mary Margret placed the pot of ingredients on the hob a shot a sympathetic look to her grandson. "Not for at least three days," she told him, "She's getting better but she's still very ill."

Henry looked disappointed but he still gave her a small smile. "I get it. Would you be able to give her this card I made her?"

Mary Margret looked down at the handmade card, which reminded of the one she got from her class during the first class for 'not killing Mrs Nolan', though the handwriting and picture had very much improved. "Are you sure you don't want to wait to give this to her yourself?"

"No," Henry grabbed two mugs from the cupboard, "I think she'll need something to cheer her up before I get there." He added with a cheeky smirk.

Mary Margret laughed again before pouring the drink into the mugs. "I might need some help with coming up with ways to keep your mother entertained, though, that's why I hoped you'd come to help me pack her a bag; well that and I wanted to see if you were okay."

"Of course I'm okay." Henry looked slightly confused.

If anyone had ever doubted that Henry was Emma's son that immediate answer and denying to even entertain thinking about the question.

"I'm sure that you are," she allowed, "but I'm also aware of how stressful this has been for all of us. I know I wouldn't be too happy if I wasn't able to see Emma for a few more days after all of this."

Henry took a minute to think. "I suppose. I mean I wish I could see her, but I understand, and she has you and Gramps so I know she'll be safe."

Mary Margret smiled at him with wordless fondness and the two sat in silence while they drank their hot chocolate. Lost in their thoughts in the temporary sanctum of the loft.

"It's you and gramps who won't be safe." Henry said once he had finished the last sip of his drink.

"Why do you say that?" she tilted her head slightly to the side as she wondered what he had heard and from whom.

"Well, my mom's not going to be home for a while, and better in an even longer time… I don't know if you'll be able to survive this." He joked. He then held out a hand to help his laughing grandmother stand up.

"Okay, let's get to work," she led the way to the staircase, "I'll drop you back home on my way back to the hospital I'm sure that your other mom will be back by then."

*OUAT*

David sat by Emma's bedside as she slept, he had been waiting somewhat anxiously for Mary Margret's return, despite her texting him updates. So when she appeared in the doorway holding a travel bag in her hand, he breathed a sigh of relief, and stood to meet her. Before she even had a chance to walk through the door David had strode over to her, placed a hand on either cheek, and met in an impassioned kiss. When they finally pulled apart David kept his hands on her cheeks.

"Hi," she whispered, "I did text you; you knew that I was safe." She reminded him before kissing him softly once again.

"I still worried." He admitted quietly.

"I can see that." She looked past him as she was surprised to hear no complaint for their very public display of affection from their daughter.

David followed her glaze and smiled lovingly at their daughter. "She fell asleep a little while ago. _After_ she ate lunch." He took the bag out of his wife's hand, and with his other hand took hers, tugging her into the room.

"And judging from your tone it went well?" she smirked.

David groaned quietly and threw his head back to look up and the ceiling tiles. "I'm pretty sure I was only one step short of having to physically force her to eat. I think she's in pain when she eats, and her appetite has shrunk so she's trying to avoid it, I think we're going to be in for a fight."

"That bad, huh?" she asked sympathetically, as they sat on the couch on the other side of the room from Emma, not wanting to wake her with their conversation.

"She gave me puppy dog eyes." David pouted.

"And you held strong?" Mary Margret giggled. "I'm impressed."

"Only just," he told her still pouting, "if she thought to call me daddy, like she has done before, I would have stood no chance." David pulled her closer to him so she was resting against his chest.

Mary Margaret kissed his lips gently again. "It's a good thing she didn't then, as if she had her 'daddy' would have been in a lot of trouble."

"Well you wouldn't be able to completely blame me, she got her puppy dog eyes from her 'mommy', so it would be at least partially your fault." He smirked. He felt her dig her elbow into his ribs in protest, expecting him to cave and apologise, but what he said was true so he refused.

"She's more like you than she is me." Mary Margaret told him. "She may have my eyes, but she has your hair, not just that but she is a carbon copy of you."

"Are you kidding? She's exactly like you!" David protested. "She's got more than just your eyes, and your chin, she's like a slightly shorter version of you. "

Mary Margaret rolled her eyes though she smiled slightly, Emma often wore heeled shoes as she didn't like being one of the shortest members of the family, even Henry was almost taller than her and although Emma was only about an inch shorter - by wearing heels most people thought that she was taller than in reality and therefore taller than her mother. "David when will you realise that she is exactly like you? She is brave, and noble, and she could charm her way out of a paper bag."

David rested his head on her shoulder, he kissed her cheek, then rested it once more on her shoulder. "She gets her bravery and morals from you too. And her stub- erm strong-headedness from you too." He paused as his wife glared jokingly at him. "Not just that though: she gets her kindness from you, her willingness to help anyone who needs it, and her ability to survive no matter what- that's what helped her get through this, being like her mother, being like you." He kissed her cheek again, and waited for her to turn her head so he could kiss her lips also, he didn't have to wait long for her to do so.

Mary Margaret obliged, slowly and repeatedly kissing his lips. "David." She sighed. "She got that from you too, she got Edward on her side just like you would have, she got her sense of humour from you, and your strength also helped her survive. Every time I look at her, I see a girl who is so clearly your daughter, so full of love just like you; and I just feel so much love for her and for you."

"I feel the same." David kissed her again.

The two settle down to a silence, both of them had their eyes on their sleeping daughter, but Mary Margret sensed that David had been waiting to ask her something. "Go on then." She said not unkindly.

"Go on, what?" David asked attempting to sound innocent.

Mary Margaret rolled her eyes in good humour. "I know the before I even set foot in the room you've been dying to ask me about how my talk with George went."

David wrapped his arms tighter around Mary Margaret at mention George's name. "So, how did it go?"

"He's gone, Regina handed him off safely to the policeman who going to take him far, far away; we're never going to see him again. And I made it clear to him what would happen should he ever try to step foot anywhere even close to Storybrooke."

David looked at her with pride. "How much did you scare him?" He smirked.

"Enough. I think that even Regina was scared. He deserved it… The amount of times he's tried to destroy the family, even before we had it, I know we should always try to forgive people but…"

"But they're our kids, the amount of times he's tried to hurt them… He _did_ hurt them, he hurt her, he hurt our daughter: I think that he's lucky we didn't just let Edward finish him at the Toll Bridge."

"We had to." She gently reminded him. "We can't stop others from getting their revenges and then go ahead and get our own."

"I know. I just… I just feel so helpless, and that…" he trailed off.

"That he'll come back?" she guessed "I feel like that also, but we've done the most we can; he's not getting out of prison, he's not coming back to Maine, and he is not crossing over the town line." She kissed him yet again.

"And if he ever did we'd be ready for him." David promised. "Plus Emma's not being let out our sight for the next forty years, so she'll be away from him." He felt vibrations against his chest as his wife laughed.

"Forty years?" She bit her lip to try and stop laughing.

" _Yes forty years_ ," he insisted, "she still kept her dreams from us-"

"- We already told her she's not in trouble for that." She gave him a pointed look.

"I know, but…" He paused for a moment struggling to find his words. "I just feel as though I've aged fifty years in the past couple of days. And as I so clearly couldn't stop George from taking her, from her getting hurt, or her being ill, I wish could have helped her in the smallest way; even if it was just talking about her dreams."

"Hey," she placed her hand on his cheek and turned his head to face him, "I know, I wish I could too; but that's in the past now we can't change it. And I think that now she hasn't got Robert in her head she's more likely to talk to us – I know that you just want to protect her, and you do an amazing job at that. Anyway, I think that forty years is slightly too long for her to be grounded."

David narrowed his eyes in thought. "Thirty?" he joked.

"Make it twenty and I'll think about it." She joked back. "She won't be back to work for a couple of months as it is; and even when she is, I'm sure you'll be looking out for her."

"Always." He glanced back to Emma for a minute. "She had another nightmare while you were gone." He told Mary Margret quietly. "She dreamt that we had sent her away and she had ended up in a bad foster home she was in as a child."

She wasn't quite sure what to say in response, they both already wished that they had been there for her childhood, and felt sad that Emma had to believe that it was they who was sending her away. "I'm sorry I wasn't there to help."

"It's okay, you had things you had to do, and I handled it." He told her. "She'll be happy to see you when she wakes up though; she told me that she misses you." He watched her look somewhat sadly at Emma. "I still think she's a daddy's girl though." He nudged her slightly making her laugh. "How's Neal and Henry?" He asked, venturing onto a somewhat happier territory, even if they would rather be at home with both of the boys and Emma.

*OUAT*

It wasn't until later that evening that Emma started to become restless. After _gentle_ persuasion from her parents to get her to eat around half a bowl of soup along with a bread roll, and although she had been sleeping on and off during the day it was only now, during the night, that when Emma was starting to become tired she seemed to be trying desperately to keep herself awake. And David and Mary Margaret had noticed.

"I think that I will go take a shower. " Emma started to try and push herself out of the bed.

Almost immediately she did so David's hand found its way to her shoulder stopping her from moving any further. He raised an eyebrow at her as though she had suggested driving her bug to the moon. "Em, you're attached to three machines, you can't take a shower right now; not to mention you have to keep your cast dry – even when you do take a shower you going to need help. You've not even been off of the oxygen since you got here, _you're too ill_ "

Emma tried to move again, and tried to shrug off her father's hand from her shoulder, but she just received a firm look in return. "I'll be fine."

"Emma," David said firmly, "you are not getting out of this bed until you're told you can." He gently pushed down on her shoulder stopping her from moving her from the bed as he received a glare from his daughter. "You're too sick kiddo. Just give it until tomorrow then you can be helped by a nurse." He knew that a shower would be exhausting for her however at the present moment in time he was more concerned with her getting some more sleep.

Emma didn't look happy at his order but wasn't strong enough to stop her father from pushing her back against the bed.

"Emma," Mary Margaret said quietly, "why are you putting off going to bed?"

"I'm not," Emma mumbled. "And I'm already in bed."

"Kiddo, your mom is right," David sighed, "something's up."

Mary Margaret took her daughters hand, she squeezed it gently, look down at her understanding.

"I just…" Emma muttered "… I don't want to have any more nightmares."

David Mary Margaret looked down at Emma sadly, Mary Margaret squeezed Emma's hand, while David rubbed her shoulder.

"You won't have dreams like the ones you had before, _he's_ not able to do that to you any more, you don't have to worry about sleeping."

"But," Emma said timidly almost like a child, "I already have had some, and they're always worse at night."

David took a moment to press a kiss to Emma's head. "Well even if you do have any, your mom and I will be here to wake you up, we're not leaving you." He gave her a smile full of confidence, and on her other side, Mary Margret did the same.

Emma nodded a little seeming slightly more at ease. "I'm still not tired." Emma shrugged though it was clear she was trying not to yawn.

Mary Margret gently pulled away from Emma's grasp towards the bag which Emma assumed was now completely unpacked. Emma looked towards her father who was looking just as confused as she felt.

Mary Margret carried the objects behind her until she reached the bed and handed it to Emma. "This time no trying to find ways out of the hospital please." She said with jest.

"I'll try not to." Emma grinned.

"And here," Mary Margret handed her the Thor dvd which she had also hidden behind her back, "I told Henry that you feel asleep through it last time so he insisted I bring it in for us to watch, and you not to fall asleep during."

"I'm not going to fall asleep."

David gave a hearty laugh at Emma look of disgust as she spoke.

\--------  
Less than twenty minutes into the film however Emma was already asleep. David insisted that Mary Margret took the more comfortable couch to sleep on, while he slept in one of the chairs; hoping to get as much sleep as they could before they were next woken up by one of the night nurses taking Emma's observations.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know in the comments if there's anything in particular you want to see in the upcoming chapters


	27. Chapter 27

_As in most of her recent dreams, Emma was trapped inside of the trunk of George's car. But this time the car wasn't moving, it was still, she tried to wriggle but there was rope around her wrists and ankles. She could hear the clanging of swords outside as her parents fought George. Then suddenly they stopped. She held her breath and only let it out again when she heard David and Mary Margret talking, clearly it was they who had won and not George. Their voices grew louder as they got closer to the car._

" _Mom! Dad!" she called desperately. She waited for them to pop the trunk._

" _I'm glad this is finally over." She heard Mary Margret say._

" _Mom!" she called louder._

" _Now we can finally go home." David agreed with Mary Margret. "Come on, let's go and get Neal, we can go and be a family again. The three of us."_

" _Dad!" She called not believing what she had just heard. Maybe he meant the three of them plus Neal._

_But she was met with silence. She continued to call for them as she tried to escape her bounds but both were fruitless when she was met with more silence and she made no progress of freeing herself._

_She closed her eyes as a tear rolled out._

_When she opened them she wasn't in the trunk anymore. But she also wasn't at home, or in hospital, or anywhere where her family were._

_She was trapped in a cupboard, so similar to the one in her childhood, in fact she was starting to think that it_ was _the one from her childhood. She started to bang on the door. She could hear the incessant humming of the television, she knew better than to disturb her foster parents, but they didn't seem to hear her. Then there was another banging, one on the front door, she heard it open. Then she heard Mary Margret's and David's voices._

" _Mom!" She shouted "Dad!"_

_She heard the door shut and she shouted even louder. But it was too late. She didn't hear her parents again. Just her foster parent's footsteps stomping towards her, they clearly weren't happy._

_She covered her eyes automatically._

_The footsteps stopped and the silence prevailed. She slowly lifted her hands off of her eyes. She was no longer in the cupboard._

_She was in prison._

_She placed her hand on her stomach, it was barely a bump, but Emma knew that Henry was growing in her; but considering how small her stomach was she must have only just got there. It struck her how bare the cell was. It hadn't changed from when she was actually in it, but now she was so used to a home, surrounded by people and objects which put her at ease. She didn't even have pictured to stick onto the walls like other inmates._

_She could feel the loneliness set deep within her heart._

_She wrapped her arms tightly around herself. She still couldn't help but hope that her parents would come and save her._

*OUAT*

Emma was up like a shot. She looked frantically around the room and saw her parents on either side of her, their eyes were open and they were looking at her, their eyes full of curiosity and concern.

"Emma?" Mary Margret placed her hand on her daughter's arm. "Are you okay?"

Emma bit her lip, she looked back at the sheets on her bed, and nodded.

David shared a look with Mary Margret. He too stood up and sat on the side of Emma's bed while Mary Margret did the same on the other side. Emma scrunched up her eyes.

"You know," David started, "the night before your mother told me that she was pregnant with Neal I had a nightmare."

"I didn't have a nightmare." Emma mumbled not looking up.

"I was in your old nursery." David continued as though he hadn't heard her. "I was dressed up as though I was going to a ball, and then you came in, you were a ball gown." He smiled at the memory. "But then the dream turned into a nightmare, you were sucked into the wardrobe, and I failed you."

Emma looked up at him with an almost worried look. "You didn't fail me."

"Thank you, but that's not why I was telling you the story." David took hold of her hand. "I was so scared of my dream that I tried desperately to get courage, but I tried to take a shortcut, and it didn't really work – I was still scared. That was until I told your mother, it took a little while, but it started to help."

Emma stay quiet and looked back away from him.

David shared another look with Mary Margret, both worried and frustrated, not by Emma but that it was so hard to help her.

"When your father first woke me from the sleeping curse I had terrible nightmares, they lasted a long time, and I would wake up screaming. You remember the burning room I told you about when we were both in the Enchanted Forest? I had to explain to your father what they were about. It was hard, and it scared me almost as much as the dreams, but it _did_ help."

"Sweetheart we know that sharing dreams is hard sweetheart."

"But it _will_ help, kiddo." David finished. "It might help you get some peaceful sleep."

Emma looked up hesitantly, both of them were smiling at her encouragingly, she felt her mother brush a strand of her hair behind her ear and David kept hold of her hand. "I was locked in the boot," she started quietly, "I heard you defeat George, and I kept shouting for you… but then you just left without me."

"Em-"

"- There's more." Emma stopped her mother from talking, she knew that if she didn't continue now she might not have the courage to. "The dream then switched to a place in my childhood. When I was locked in the cupboard, but I heard you go to the door, and I called for you again. But you left and I just made my foster parents mad. An-… And then I was… I was in prison again." She shrugged sadly. "I was just so alone... I wanted you two."

David and Mary Margret brought their arms around their daughter.

"Emma," Mary Margret eventually pulled backwards and brushed the tears off of her daughter's cheek, "I'm so sorry."

"You should have never gone through all of that." David placed his hand on Emma's head. "And I'm sorry that in your dream we didn't come and get you."

"Did you call for us in real life too?" Mary Margret asked. "It's okay, you can tell us."

Emma nodded slightly.

"I'm sorry that we weren't there for you then."

"But we're here now." David reminded her. "We're not letting you go, ever."

"These dreams will stop soon, honey." Mary Margret kissed her forehead. "Just keep telling us what happens in them, you don't have to try and protect us from them, it's our job to protect you."

"You're never going to have to see any of your foster families again, you're never going to be taken from us again," David assured her, "and I know the sheriffs rather well and I know for a fact that they won't let you be taken away." David smirked.

"Abuse of power." Emma said through a yawn.

"Which I know I won't need to resort to." He raised his eyebrow in challenge.

"No promises." Emma smirked back at him, her eyes drifted closed, but then she forced them back open.

"You can go to sleep, sweetie," Mary Margret stroked her hair, "we'll be right here when you wake up."

After a couple of minutes Emma fell back asleep.

"Mary Margret?" David said quietly as he looked down upon his daughter. "When Henry was born she wasn't eighteen like she says she was." He looked over at his wife and found his statement was of no surprise to her, this was the first time that David was able to give it some thought, as he didn't like to think of her being alone and betrayed in a jail cell. "Henry's birthday is the fifteen of August, Emma's is on the twenty-second of October, he was already ten when she turned twenty-eight."

Mary Margret nodded sadly.

"She was only seventeen when she was in jail." David sighed. "She was still just a kid."

"I know." She sympathised quietly so Emma wouldn't be woken up. "She didn't deserve that. She didn't deserve any of that."

*OUAT*

"Come on Em, we've _already_ been through this," David rolled his eyes at her stubbornness, "you need to eat."

"And I _already_ said that I'm not hungry." Emma rolled her eyes back.

David looked down at her sternly with his hands on his hips. "What, do you need me to feed you? Because you _will_ be eating that breakfast, Em."

Emma just scowled back at him.

"Look," he tried to barter, "just one slice of toast and the yoghurt; that's all you need to eat." He looked over at Mary Margret who looked at him as to say it was his turn, after all he would be leaving Emma with her until the early afternoon, and Emma hadn't woken up in the most persuasive of moods.

"What's your last name?" Emma tilted her head to the side as she asked him the question.

"What?" David frowned in confusion, though he had to admit that the way she tilted her head was rather adorable, but he had no idea what she was talking about.

"Back in the Enchanted Forest, what was your last name?"

"Oh!" David exclaimed finally understanding her. He pushed her tray further towards her. "If you eat I'll talk."

Emma rolled her eyes but picked up a piece of toast, she took a bite, she winced as it scratched her throat but took another bite anyway.

"We didn't really have last names, especially if we were poor, and I was." He smiled. "We were simply known by our, or our parent's occupation; so I was known as David Shepherd of Highwater."

"Highwater?" Emma asked around a mouthful of toast.

"I lived in the hills, but if you travelled a little south you'd reach a massive lake; so the area I lived in was called Highwater."

"Is that why George," Emma looked slightly uncomfortable mentioning his name, "always refers to you as 'Shepherd'."

David watched Emma as she seemingly unknowingly picked up the second slice of toast, he realised that she must just not want to eat as it hurt her throat, but talking to her seemed to distract her. "No, surnames didn't really carry the same weight in our land as they do here. George just didn't like that I was so poor, he liked to remind me I would never be a prince, and he saw it as beneath him. But I think he didn't like that my brother was so like him yet would have been so poor, even poorer than I was when I was sent to be James' replacement, so when I wanted to go back to the farm he thought it was a sign of weakness or something."

Emma nodded absorbing the information. Before she turned to look at her mother. "And your last name's White, right?"

Mary Margret shook her head with a smile. "No, Snow White is just my first name."

Emma shot her a look as though she was asking if she was serious.

"I was named after the harsh winter I was born during. My family didn't have a last name as one wasn't needed. I was Princess Snow White of Misthaven; Misthaven was the more 'official' name of the Enchanted Forest."

"Huh." Emma frowned, she hadn't expected that answer, plus White seemed like a strange first name… though of course it was completely normal compared to Rumpelstiltskin.

"You'd have been Princess Emma of Misthaven." Mary Margret smiled over at her. "And your brother would have been Prince Neal of Misthaven."

"Why do you ask?" David opened up the yoghurt pot and placed it in front of Emma.

"No reason." Emma shrugged. She suddenly became very interested in her yoghurt pot. "Did either of you ever think of changing your cursed name? Y'know so that they match?"

Mary Margret and David looked at each other, they suddenly realised why she was asking, it was Emma who was thinking about her own last name; and with her dreams of the past they weren't too surprised.

Mary Margret stood up next to the bed. "Well, our family isn't really dependant on what our last names our, it's what we mean to each other, and you're the one who brought us all together; the one who first made us a proper family; that's what your name means, 'whole'."

Emma shot her a touched smile, though she felt slightly sheepish that they realised what she was really talking about.

"That be said," David told her, "if you ever did want to change your last name we'd support you, or vice-versa."

Emma gave him a, only slightly embarrassed, smile.

"Oh before I forget, kiddo, we need to talk." David said.

"You're not getting a divorce are you?" Emma joked.

"No nothing like that." David chuckled.

"Then shoot."

"Your father and I thought that we might do what we did when you were last in here, taking it in turns to stay with you and with Neal." Mary Margret told her, she really didn't want to leave her daughter but she also knew they needed to see Neal too. "It'd mean he'd stay with you here tonight and I'll come in in the morning. Would you be okay with that?"

"Yeah of course." Emma said though she did feel slightly uneasy at the thought of her mom leaving she knew that Neal needed someone with him too. "Plus I'm more likely to be able to convince dad to help me escape from here."

"No!"

"She has no trust in me." David told Emma pretending to be hurt.

*OUAT*

David was on his way out of the hospital and to the vault when he bumped into Edward.

"Oh Prince, I'm sorry." He apologised as they both stumbled backwards slightly.

"Edward it's fine, it was my fault, I wasn't looking where I was going." David smiled. "And, please, call me David."

Edward nodded his head. "How is your daughter?"

"She's getting better, slowly but surely, it will take a while though. It doesn't help that she's stubborn." David smirked but it was nice to know that Edward _really_ did care about Emma. "What are you doing here? Are you well?"

"Yes, I'm fine. I was simply visiting some of the people whose dreams were effected by Robert."

"How are they?" David crossed his arms over his chest.

"They're all much better, they're being released today, though apparently they've all had to be made appointments with Doctor Hopper."

"Ah yes, of course, Archie will be able to help them; I'm sure it'll be hard for them to come to turns with. How about you, what are you up to now?"

Edward shifted uncomfortably. "To tell you the truth, I'm not sure, I was erm persuaded by Ruby to spend time with her and her erm…"

"Girlfriend?" David smiled he knew that Edward wasn't use to sexuality being so open and accepted. "They're good people. I don't suppose that you'd be open to helping out at the station?" He asked suddenly, he had been thinking about it for a while, but he wasn't sure how open the other man would be to taking on the responsibility. "With Emma being so ill I don't really want to leave her side. You'd be working with Thomas who's also sometimes called Sean, Fredrick, Robin, and Leroy; they're all good men and I think you'd work very well there."

"You… you would trust me to work there? After all that I've done?"

"We've all done things which we regret in our past, but you had a good reason to do it, and you made up for it; that's what matters. I trust you, as does my wife, and my daughter."

"I…I would be honoured."

"Brilliant. If you drop by the station tomorrow afternoon Leroy will inform you of everything you need to know."

*OUAT*

David walked into the vault, Regina was waiting outside ready to take Robert over the town line to be given to the Maine police, he had been moved to the vault as soon as George had left so that the man was further away from Emma.

When David walked into the vault he found that it was clear of everything bar a tray of food and a camp bed. Robert looked even less powerful than the couple of times in which David had seem him. He was shorter than David by a few inches and was so thin that his clothes were draping off of him. He had a black eye and scratches from where Ruby and Skye had taken him down, and his shoulder was bandages from where Mary Margret shot him with an arrow, if it was anyone else he might have sympathised; but as it was Robert David instead made a mental note to buy the three women a small present each.

"You know, I saw you once." David said making the man jump as he didn't realise he had company. When he turned to face David, David saw the red rings around his green eyes. "When I was pretending to be my brother. I watched you give two of George's strongest knights terrifying nightmares, they never recovered. But I thought you'd be… more than what you look like now… that'd you'd have more flair or be more powerful, but you're just weak."

Robert stopped glaring at where the magic cuff was locked invisibly around his wrists and glared at David instead. "You're not worthy to call James your brother, you may look like him, but you are _nothing_ like him."

"Thank you."

Robert practically growled. "He was twice the prince you would ever be."

"No, he was a bully, and a cheat, and a terrible person. And I wish that he wasn't, but he was, so I won't defend him purely because we share the same DNA."

Robert could feel himself shaking with anger. He was used to being able get into people's heads so David's calmness was annoying him. "Like you didn't defend your daughter?" He snarled and watched David's eyes squint to a glare. "No matter how much her mommy and daddy called out to help her, you weren't there, in fact it was you her let her be taken."

David clenched his fists at his side but refused to retaliate.

"Such an insubordinate, stubborn little brat," Robert spat bitterly, "even as I tortured her with the most _delicious_ of her memories, she refused to believe that you were dead; apparently she could tell when we were lying to her. Though it was still fun trying to get her to believe."

David closed his eyes and counted to ten. He managed to finally slow his breathing down, and then talked in a calm voice. "I'm here to inform you that you're being transferred to a prison in Maine. Where you'll be keeping that cuff on you, and even if you somehow got it off, you'll be in a land without magic; you won't ever hurt my daughter _ever_ again. You'll be just as alone and just as powerless as when you were stuck in that well."

The blood in Robert's veins ran cold. He stood up and slowly walked over to David. "Do you know what George's plan was? For Emma? Well, Emma was his heir, of course; and although he was going to take your son too he wouldn't be the proper heir. So he was going to find a supporting noble family, with a male heir, and he and Emma would produce a whole lines of heirs."

"There was no way Emma would ever go along with that." David growled.

"She wasn't exactly going to have much of a choice." Robert laughed.

David didn't even want to make himself count to ten. Instead his clenched fist travelled from his side, to connect with Robert's nose, with a crunch.

*OUAT*

David quietly walked into the hospital room, he paused to stand in the open doorway, and he stopped and stared at the hospital bed.

Emma was still attached to all of the machines, the I.V in her arm was still plying her with medicine, and the nasal cannula was helping to keep her oxygen up as it was still way too low. Over the beeping of the machines he could hear her wheezing. She was asleep on the upright bed, her pale face was on Mary Margret's shoulder, who was at her side and stroking her hand through her daughter's golden ones. She just looked so young lying next to her mother.

David finally shook himself and walked into the room over to Mary Margret's side of the bed. "How's our girl?" he asked quietly.

"She just doesn't want to be here." Mary Margret sent him a sad smile. "I think… well, she seems to be rather _clingy_ , since we got her back, doesn't she?"

"Understandably so. She's been through a lot." He smiled reading his wife's mind. "She'll be okay with just one of us here at night, plus you need to sleep on a proper bed."

"I had to help her take a shower before, she insisted on having one but refused to have a nurse in there, so I told her she had to have help or she wouldn't be able to have one. She has _so_ many bruises." Tears shone in her eyes momentarily but she managed to blink them away. "She said she'd 'had worse' as though that was meant to make it any better."

"She's never going to get hurt like this ever again." David swore.

"She had another bad coughing fit, when she finally got it under control she was exhausted, of course her being Emma meant that she didn't want to sleep. She finally settled down but only if I was at her side."

"Well, she needs her mom." He reached out his right hand and brushed the back of his fingers against Emma's cheek. The corner of his lip turned up when she sighed contently in her sleep.

"David," Mary Margret hissed, "what happened to your hand?" She gently moved Emma off of her then tugged David over to the side of the room. "What happened when you went to see Robert?"

"He… I may have given him a broken nose." He sighed and dropped down to sit on the couch.

Mary Margret joined him on the couch with a frown on her face. "Why? You're not normally like that. What happened?" she placed her hand on his cheek.

"He was trying to provoke me and I managed to keep my cool. Then he told me about George's plan for Emma."

"Her being his heir?"

"Partially." He sighed again. "George was planning on expanding his 'heir line'." David said with disgust.

Mary Margret shook her head in disbelief. "Emma wouldn't-"

"- He implied that there wasn't going to be much choice."

Mary Margret's mouth fell open, her eyes opened wide, and she shook her head again. A millionth of a second later David wrapped his arms around her and brought her close to him.

"I knew that he was sick," David's voice was thick as tears swam in his eyes, "but this was a whole new low."

"David," Mary Margret spoke into his shoulder, "if we hadn't turned up… if we hadn't of beat him."

"I know." David kissed the top of her head. "But she's okay, we got her, she's safe now."

"Does… does she know?"

"I'm not sure," he told her honestly, "maybe? Even if she wasn't told outright, she's a smart kid, she'll have figured it out."

"I almost wish that George was here-"

"-If he was here; he wouldn't be _here_ anymore." David felt her nod against him. "We'll get through this."

"I know we will." Mary Margret leaned up and pecked his lips. "Together, as we _always_ do."

*OUAT*

When Emma woke up she automatically looked around for her parents. David was sat by her side. "Where's mom?" She asked. She was getting really bored of the croaky sound of her voice and the pain which occurred when she spoke.

David leant forward with his elbows on his knees and hands in his lap. An easy smile came to his face as he watched her rub her eye with her fist. "Don't worry, she's just gone to go get her and me some food from the canteen."

"Okay." Emma nodded sleepily. But then she drew her eyebrows together and her lips tightened to a tight line. "What happened to your hand?" she asked alarmed.

David looked down at the icepack which was wrapped around his knuckles and then back up at Emma who looked very worried. He placed the icepack on side table and sat on the side of Emma's bed. "It's okay, I'm okay, Em." He told her "I went to see Robert." He didn't miss her flinch at the name though she tried to hide it quickly. "It got a little heated and I kind of broke his nose." He was glad to see that her face changed to a smile. "He's gone, now, to a prison on the other side of Maine."

Emma nodded. "Is your hand okay?"

"It's fine," he dismissed, "your mom just insisted that a nurse looked at it; it's just a little bruised." He brushed her hair back from her face. "Emma, can I ask you a question?"

Emma nodded her head to signify yes.

"I'm proud that you kept on having faith in your mother and I, that we were still alive and that we would come and get you, and that you used your ability to spot when people are telling lies on them…"

"…'But'…?" Emma guessed.

"I was wondering why you couldn't tell that Henry was lying, when he disappeared, you believed him when he said that Regina knew he was there." She looked at him as though she was wondering if she was in trouble but looked more relaxed when he looked completely calm. "It's just been on my mind for a little while."

"Do you know how I got my 'super power'?" she asked him and received a shake of the head in return. "Because of how I grew up I kind of developed it, it came in useful to know if I would be in danger, or if there would be catches behind things. It probably won't surprise you that I find it hard to trust people. And then as I got older it came in useful and, well, a lot of people kept lying to me." She watched her dad's face fall at that. "But then I found you lot. I don't really need it around my family as I trust you."

"I'm glad that you can trust us. And you don't have to worry again; I'll protect you." David smiled and then pressed a kiss to Emma's head.

"Plus I was ill." She added. "And I kinda wanted to feel useful."

"You are useful." David told her. "But when you're ill you get babied, that's the rules."

"I don't get babied." Emma scowled.

"Mm hmm, is that right?" he smirked, they both knew fully well that Emma did, though of course Emma would never admit it.

"Yup." Emma nodded. "Hey, dad? When can Henry come and visit?"

"Whale said the day after tomorrow." David smiled knowing that she wouldn't have to wait long.

"He did?" Emma made sure to put on an innocent face on. "He said to me that I'm doing better and Henry could come tomorrow."

"And when exactly did he tell you that?" David rose his eyebrow.

"Earlier. When you were out."

"Really?" He gave her an unamused look. "Because I know for a fact that he hasn't been here since he was here this morning."

"…Oh…" she said quietly.

"Yeah, 'oh'." He repeated.

Emma looked sheepish for a moment. "But dad, I _am_ okay. Another few hours won't make much difference."

David shook his look but at least looked slightly apologetic. "Sorry, Em, doctor's orders."

"But dad." She dragged his name out with a pout on her face and puppy dog eyes, she knew that after lying to him she'd have to pull out the big guns.

"No." David said managing to stay firm. "I just told you that I was going to protect you, kiddo, and that includes against germs."

*OUAT*

David watched Emma bite her lip as Mary Margret got ready to leave, but as soon as Mary Margret turned back around, she plastered on an unperturbed face. And David could just tell that Mary Margret was feeling the same, and she was hiding it even worse than Emma, she had checked and rechecked her bag already. David squeezed Emma's shoulder as he walked over to Mary Margret. "Hey." He said quietly as he stood behind her.

"David are you sure that I should go?" She said just as quietly. "What if she has a bad turn?"

He placed his hands on her shoulders and turned her around. "If she gets bad again I'll call you straight away." He promised. "But she won't, she'll be fine, she'll be asleep within two hours. And you need to get some proper sleep."

"I know… I just." She shook her head and David's thumbs went up to her cheeks to brush a couple of tears away. "I know that she'll be okay with you." She pulled him into a kiss and felt him smile against her. She walked back over to Emma. "Be good for your dad."

"I'm stuck on a hospital bed, there's not really much I can do."

"And let him know if you're in a lot of pain, or your chest feels tight, or you start to feel weird." Mary Margret ordered.

"Mary Margret, I'm sure I can look after her for one night." David smirked though he saw the sadness in Emma's eyes. "Em and I are going to be fine, aren't we, kiddo?" he encouraged.

Emma nodded, not trusting herself to speak.

"Okay. I'll see you both tomorrow morning."

"Give Neal a kiss from me."

"I will. I love you Emma." She pressed a kiss to her daughter's forehead and felt Emma wrap her arms around her in return.

"Love you too, mom." Emma said quietly.

-.-.-

David sat down on the chair next to Emma's bed again when Mary Margret left. "Hey," he called to her, "it'll be morning in no time."

Emma nodded but didn't say anything.

David frowned. "Hey look what I brought from home." He said with a smile before he pulled out the battery candles and the Harry Potter book the two of them had been reading. "You want me to read to you?"

Emma looked touched that her father had wanted to find a way to help stop her nightmares. "Could you tell me one of your stories first?"

"Of course." He sat back down in his chair. "Once upon a time, there was a shepherd who lived with his mother, they were so very poor that the young man's mother turned to him as told him that they had to sell the farm, even though it was her pride and joy…"

Once David had finished telling the story he saw Emma's eyes drift shut but she quickly forced them open.

"Did you ever find out who she was?"

David paused for a second. "No, just a kind stranger."

Emma's eyes fluttered shut again. "I never had a pet." This time when she spoke her eyes stayed closed. "Can we get a dog?"

"Ask your mother." He told her as she drifted off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed that if you have any prompts for what you think should happen let me know!
> 
> Also if you have a fanfiction.net account please head over to my profile 'loboselina' and vote for what story you would like me to write once I've finished this one!


	28. Chapter 28

David pulled up outside of the house on Mifflin Street a couple of days after he had seen Robert driven from the town. Henry was finally able to visit Emma, Whale having told Emma's parents that morning, and Mary Margret and David had never been happier.

Emma was becoming more and more annoyed by her 'imprisonment', as she had deemed it, and Mary Margret and David were sceptical about how long it would be until she eventually tried to talk her way out of the hospital; and that would be a best case scenario. It didn't help that she had been having bad dreams still, though she seem to talk to them about them slightly more, and they were more naturally brought on through her hatred of hospitals and old memories; though she did have a particularly bad one the night before, when Mary Margret was staying with Emma.

Both of them felt slightly guilty that they weren't both there whenever she had a bad dream, but they also had another child they had to take care of, which hadn't helped Emma's mood: she seemed to be balancing between wanting to be with both of them, looks of panic crossed her face when she couldn't see them, and being annoyed at herself for feeling that way- however as soon as David or Mary Margret tried to talk to her about that, she closed up, they had tried to hint that it was nothing to feel ashamed of if she was feeling more apprehensive without them, but Emma clearly didn't agree.

David climbed out of the truck as he saw the door of the Mill's house open up, David and Mary Margret had both gone out of their way to make sure that they still spoke to and saw Henry in between balancing their time with Emma and Neal, never the less Henry seemed extremely happy to see David. David brought him into a hug then ruffled his hair, the teenager was starting to catch up to David height wise, sometimes David could scarcely believe he had a grandson let alone a teenage one; hell, half the time it felt as though Emma acted more like a teenager than Henry did.

"Does my mom know that I'm coming?"

"Nope," David chuckled, "we thought that it'd be a nice surprise for her."

"Awesome." Henry's smile widened. "Can we grab some food to take in?"

David gave a hearty laugh as he opened the passenger door for Henry. "You're so like your mother." He shut the door after Henry climbed in and then he climbed in the driver's side. "Remember your seatbelt." He could see his grandson staring at him as he complied. "Yes, of course we can, in fact I was thinking that we'd make a stop or two before we pick Neal up and go to see your mom."

Henry titled his head curiously as David turned the engine on and pulled away from the sidewalk. "Why?"

"You'll see."

*OUAT*

Mary Margret watched as Emma sat on the bed and flicked through the book in front of her, when she thought that her mother wasn't looking she would look towards the book in her lap then back at the door, it was the book which David had been reading to her. Mary Margret sighed internally, as they wanted to keep Neal and Henry's visit a surprise for Emma when David had left he hadn't mentioned how long he would be gone, which really wasn't helping Emma's nerves.

"Your father will be back soon." Mary Margret spoke with a smile but as she suddenly spoke Emma jumped at the sound of her voice.

Emma tried to look as though she didn't care, or that she hadn't been thinking about when he'd be coming back as soon as he had left the room, or that she hadn't been feeling the exact same every single time either one of her parents were out of her sight. She wasn't entirely sure if her parents realised or if they just happened to make comforting comments when she was feeling like she was. But either way, she didn't want to mention it, she didn't want her parents to think that she was selfishly trying to demand more attention. "I know." She said though she wasn't so sure.

"Okay… Emma, I know that you're probably feeling anxious since George kidnapped you – "

"-Mom, I'm –"

"– No Emma. You don't have to talk about it right now, if you don't want, but please just listen." She looked at Emma with an expression her face which told Emma to trust her, which was met by one from her daughter of uncertainty, but nevertheless she nodded her head so Mary Margaret continued to talk. "To an extent I know how you're feeling. I was kidnapped by George once too."

"I forgot about that." Emma mumbled.

Mary Margret smiled gently at her. "I wasn't there for as long as you were, but I know that when I escaped and made my way back, I was scared. In fact, I was terrified. I was terrified he'd come again, I was scared for my future, and scared that he'd go after David. I wanted to keep all those I cared about close to me, both for their protection and for my own, and I found it just as hard to talk about as I did the bad dreams I had after the sleeping curse."

Emma hesitated before she spoke, when she did she it was quietly, and she refused to look at her mother. "How did it get better?"

"It took time, I'm not going to lie to you it _was_ hard, and when you were taken I was even more scared than I was when he took me. I know that your father feels the same as I do, that we both want to keep you close to us, it's only natural: it's also only natural that you would want to be close to us." She stared deeply at Emma.

Emma slowly looked up at her mother, she bit her lip nervously, and her eyes darted around the room before they moved back to her mother. "I- I know it's stupid, but since you guys saved me… I just haven't felt comfortable when you aren't here." Emma started to trace the patterns on the hospital bedsheet.

"Emma, it's not stupid to feel like that, it's okay." Mary Margret took hold of Emma's hand and smiled at her. "You can tell your father and me when you feel like this, you're not going to be judged by us, and we'll just be sure to make sure that you feel safe."

Emma gave her a grateful if slightly self-conscious smile. "Thanks mom." She leant forward to try and give her mother a hug but the pain in her ribs made her freeze and suck in her breath.

Mary Margret quickly stood up, she took hold of Emma's shoulders, and slowly pushed her back against the bed. "Be careful, you still have broken ribs, remember?" she chided gently then carefully hugged Emma.

*OUAT*

"Gramps," Henry asked as the two of them got out of the truck and their feet became immerged in the thick snow, "why are we at Gold's shop?"

"Well, I figured that we could get your mom a present." David said. He didn't add that he hoped it would bring Emma's mood up though he was sure that Henry got the idea. They entered the store and were met with the sound of the bell and Belle stood behind the cashier's till, she smiled welcomingly at them, and they walked over to her.

"Hey David, Henry, can I help you both?" she asked.

"We're here to get a present for my mom."

"Of course, she's been through a lot, she deserves something special." Belle commented.

"Hey, kid, why don't you go take a look." David suggested and Henry quickly scarpered off.

"How is Emma doing?" Belle asked David quieter so he could be honest without Henry overhearing and worrying.

"She spends most of the time sleeping, though Whale says that's normal, and she keeps having miniature asthma attacks and coughing fits constantly." David sighed. "Not to mention I think that it would be easier to keep Henry or even Neal entertained in the hospital than Emma. But hopefully she should be out in a week."

"And then I'm guessing that you have to keep her home for a while after that." Belle said with a smile guessing how well that would go.

"Yeah, I think we're in for a wild ride." David groaned dramatically. "Anyway, how are you?"

"I'm good, we seem to get a lot more customers nowadays, but Rumple seems to have collected a lot of things, so I've been sorting through them." She nodded to the box which was next to her. "There's just so much history behind all these objects. I don't think that you recognise anything in there do you?"

"Hey gramps," Henry said as he walked over to the two adults, "I think I found something."

"I think I have too." David said quietly as he reached inside of the big cardboard box.

*OUAT*

"Hey kiddo." David smiled as he walked through the door of Emma's hospital room, he walked in alone, with a big bag in his hand.

"Dad!" Emma said surprised. "You're back already."

"Well I missed you." David put the bag down on the table near the door. Mary Margret smiled at him know what he was going to do next. "Plus there was a couple of people who really wanted to see you." He pushed open the door and Henry walked in holding Neal's hand.

"Hey mom." Henry beamed as he walked quickly over to Emma's bed.

Emma quickly brought him into a hug. "I missed you kid."

"I missed you too mom." Henry whispered back. His grandfather had warned him that Emma didn't look in the best of health but she was much paler than he had thought she would be and her black eye looked incredibly sore, and he'd be lying is he didn't admit that all the machines she was connected to scared him slightly. But she had a smile on her face so he was put at peace slightly.

David and Mary Margret walked over to them, Neal was in his mother's arms, but his eyes were on Emma and he held his arms out to her.

"Emmy!"

"Hey squirt." Emma smile.

Mary Margret carefully placed Neal on the side of the bed so he could hug his sister but she kept her hands on him so that she could pick him up quickly if need be.

"Careful buddy," David told his son, "Emmy's still poorly."

"Poorly?" Neal asked sympathetically.

"I'm okay." Emma told Neal.

"Em." David reprimanded quietly. "Yes Neal, she _is_ poorly. Now how about we all have some food." David took two big brown bags out of the bag he had brought in. He passed Mary Margret the bag which contained hers, Neal's, and his own food and bottles of drinks. He then walked over to where Emma and Henry were both sat on her bed.

He unpacked Henry's burger and fries and passed him his bottle of juice, before he unpack Emma's grilled cheese and onion rings, and passed her a bottle of strawberry juice.

"Wait, I don't have to eat the hospital cra-" she looked over at Henry quickly before looking back at her father, "-stuff?"

David smirked at her choice in language. "We figured you might actually eat it." He joked then moved back over to sit with his wife and son.

"I'm glad you're okay." Henry told his mother as he picked at his fries. "Your parents were really worried for a while."

"How about you?" Emma asked before she took a bite out of her grilled cheese she had forgotten how good it tasted.

"I knew you'd be okay." Henry shrugged with a smile. "You always are."

"You had faith." Emma smiled. "You know when I was stuck there I had some spare time, I was wondering what you were up to, I knew you'd be helping out that you'd come up with the best ideas."

"I missed you too mom."

"My mom told me about that you came up with the idea for the special handcuffs for Robert."

"Yeah," Henry smiled as though it was no big deal, "Killian took me on the Joly Roger and we found some things in my book. Oh and he taught me some more about sailing. He said if it was okay with you and my other mom he'd teach me more about it."

"Like he taught your father." She gave a brief smile. "Well, it's okay with me, but you have to convince Regina."

"Awesome." He bit his lip as he thought. "That should be easy."

"How about we get some ice-creams from the shop?" Mary Margret suggested once they had all finished their food.

David nodded but then he looked over at Henry and Emma who were sat talking animatedly on the bed still. "Are we sure we should leave them?"

Mary Margret took hold of his hand. "I know that she's feeling… separation anxiety," Mary Margret said quietly, "but she'll be with Henry, it will be quick; and she'll know that we'll always come back."

"I know. But think about what happened last time we left them both together here, Emma and Henry decided to start coming up with a plan to sneak her out of here, I wouldn't put it past them to come up with something like that again."

Mary Margret debated what he was saying. "I know what you mean, but even our daughter is aware that right now she won't be physically able to get out of this place, though perhaps we should ask Regina to put a spell around the hospital to keep Emma from leaving before she's meant to."

"Sounds like a good idea." He said standing up. He swooped Neal into his arms. "Hey you two, we're going to go get some ice creams from the shop, any requests?"

"Mint." Henry requested.

"Chocolate." Emma said at the same time, though she looked slightly anxiously at the door then back at her parents.

"Okay, we'll be back in five minutes, okay?" Mary Margret said, she emphasised the five minutes to make sure Emma knew they really weren't going to be gone long.

"How long are you stuck in here for?" Henry asked as soon as the door was shut.

"I should be fine in a few days, but it wouldn't surprise me if Whale decided to keep me in for no reason, any more than three and I _will_ go mad."

"I'm guessing you have a plan." Henry rose his eyebrow.

"Depends," Emma rose her eyebrow in return, "you up to helping me?"

"Okay, if you're not out of here in three days, we'll get you out of here by ourselves." Henry smiled. "Are you sure that you'll be okay by then."

"I'm sure," Emma promised, "I might need to rest over the weekend, but after maybe three days I'll be back to normal." She could feel herself getting breathless but luckily Henry didn't seem to notice.

Henry held out his hand to finalise the deal. "Sounds like a good plan."

*OUAT*

"Chocolate is clearly better." Emma argued.

"Strawberry is healthier." Mary Margret countered.

"It's ice cream," David laughed, "there is no healthy option."

"Whose side are you one?" Mary Margret asked sounding much too offended for someone who was simply debating ice-cream flavours.

Henry slipped off of the bed and walked over to the bag his grandfather had brought into the hospital. Inside the top of the bag where two identical cardboard boxes, luckily Belle had written a letter 'H' and a 'D' on each of the boxes. He picked up the one with the 'H' and walked back over to the bed. David smiled at him as he sat back on the bed. "Here, mom, I got you something."

Emma bunched her eyebrows together and looked from Henry to her father then back to Henry again. "What's this?"

"A present." Henry told her and refused to speak any longer.

Emma carefully opened the box and pulled out a Fabergé Egg. "Woah, kid, this is amazing… How did you…?" she trailed off and looked at her father.

"It was nothing." David shrugged.

"You need to open it up" Henry urged her.

As soon as Emma did music filled the room. Out of the egg rose two wooden ballet dancers. The family watched as the dancers performed their waltz then returned to the egg, which then closed with a gentle click. "Henry…" Emma was practically speechless at the sight before her, they all were. "That was beautiful."

Henry moved forwards to hug her so she wouldn't hurt herself trying to lean forward to hug him. "I'm glad you like it."

"I love it. Thank you."

*OUAT*

It was clear to both Mary Margret and David that both of their children and their grandson were all getting very tired, Neal was dozing on his mother's lap, but Henry and Emma were stubbornly trying to stay awake and as it was the first time that they had seen each other and they were both happy so David and Mary Margret didn't protest when Henry brought out a board game.

"You're actually not protesting playing a board game." David acted shocked as he bumped his shoulder gently against Emma's.

"I don't mind this one." Emma shrugged. "Will you team up with me?"

"Okay, though I have no idea how to play this, I'm pretty sure you're not meant to team up."

"Please?"

"Fine." David rolled his eyes though he had a smile on his face. "How do I play this 'Frustration'?"

"You have to press the dome with the dice in the middle of the board, you have to get a six to move one out your counters out of your home, then you press the dice again to see how many you can move. If you land on top of another player's one they get sent back to their home."

"Okay, I think I've got this." David said though he was hopefully it would be easier to play than it sounded.

"David," Mary Margret narrowed her eyes at her husband across the over bed table, "why did you get me out? You _have_ another counter out."

"I didn't want Henry to get me."

"He has a point." Henry admitted.

"Gramps I had just got that one out!"

"Well, you were in my way."

"Oh well, it's my turn now," Emma announced, "yes! A six!"

"David Nolan if you get me out again…"

"…Whoops?" David offered as he tried not to laugh.

"Can I take my go yet?" Emma complained having tried to roll a three for the past five goes.

*OUAT*

"Okay say goodbye to your mom, Henry, we should get going." Mary Margret told him, when the teen had gone over to Emma, she turned to David. "You cheated at the game."

David plastered a frown onto his face. "If I had, I would have won."

"You helped Emma win," Mary Margret explained, "don't worry, it's kind of adorable that you helped her win."

"Oh yeah?" David pulled her closer to him "How much?" He kept his voice quiet so the 'kids' wouldn't hear.

"I'll let you find out when we're actually staying in the place at night."

"That's going to be over a week." David pouted.

"I'm sure you'll be fine." Mary Margret rolled her eyes but then leant up on her tiptoes to press a kiss to his lips.

"I left some pancake mix in the fridge for you and Neal in the morning, oh and I did the washing, and changed our bed covers."

"You didn't have to do all that," she stroked his arm as she frowned wondering when he had had the time to do that, "I could have done some."

"I couldn't sleep last night." He admitted.

"Get some tonight." She told him.

"I will. You get some too, and I'll see you and Neal in the morning, hopefully Henry's visit will have put Emma in a better mood."

"Hopefully, I think even Whale was put off by her glare earlier, it doesn't help she's trying to fight sleep all the time still." Mary Margret agreed. "Are you going to give her what you found?"

"I think I will, she'll probably miss you once you've gone, hopefully it'll make her not quite as sad to be stuck her."

"She'll love it."

"I hope so." David kissed his wife again before his grandson came over. "Hey champ, I'll see you in a day or two, okay?"

Mary Margret walked over to Emma. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Emma nodded sadly. "Okay."

"Emma," Mary Margret stroked her daughter's cheek, "it's okay, remember you can talk to your dad if you feel anxious. And I will be back first thing in the morning with your little brother in tow." She nodded towards the passed out toddler on the couch.

"I will." Emma promised quietly. "Love you mom."

"I love you too sweetheart."

*OUAT*

"Will you read this to me?" Emma asked quietly as she forced her eyes to stay open. She stared at the drawings her son, brother, father, and mother had drawn on her cast; particularly at her mother's name and her typical drawing of flowers and birds (compared to Neal's scribbles, Henry's fairy tale monsters, and David's farm yard animals).

"I would love to," David smiled at how tired she looked and how stubbornly she was forcing herself to stay awake, "but first I have something for you." He walked over to his bag and pulled out the cardboard box which was left in there. "When Henry and I went to Gold's, Belle was sorting out some things she had found in storage, she found something of yours in there."

"Of mine?" Emma frowned as she opened the box her eyes still on her father. "How the hell did Gold get something of mine?" She gasped quietly when she opened the box and saw what it was. She pulled a soft brown bear out of the box, she looked at the bear's green eyes, as she stroked the brown fur. "Is this the bear you bought me?"

"It is, it must have come over during the second curse, or Gold kept it hidden after the first one." David explained. "I thought that you might want it, I know you didn't get to use it while you were a baby, but you could keep it now or whatever you want."

"Thanks dad." Emma felt her vision go slightly blurry with tears and she leant forward to give her father a hug and felt the familiar tinge on pain in her ribs.

David quickly stood up and wrapped Emma in a hug. "Be careful of your ribs kiddo." He pressed a kiss to the top of her head but felt her still clinging onto his shirt with her one good hand. "I know that you spoke to your mother about feeling anxious when the two of us aren't around, I want you to know that I'm not leaving you ever again, neither's your mother."

"Is the bear meant to help with that by any chance?" Emma asked into his shoulder as she felt his hand run through her hair.

"Well, hopefully it'll help." He kissed the top of her head again and pulled away. "You gonna give him a name?"

"I'll give it some thought" she smiled. "Will you read the book to me?"

"You sure that you're not too tired?" He smirked knowing she wouldn't be admitting or stepping down from her stubbornness.

Emma shook her head which also did the job of waking her up slightly. "Nope. Unless of course your old age is catching up to you and you're too tired."

David rolled his eyes and held his hand out for the book. "Less of the old."


	29. Chapter 29

Three days after Emma was given the teddy bear by her father she was still in hospital, waiting for Whale's daily visit, and this time she was prepared for Whale to finally discharge her: he had already taken her off of having to use the oxygen mask twenty-four-seven the previous day so in her opinion she was pretty much cured.

David and Mary Margret shot each other a look as Emma sat in the bed staring at the door, it was very clear to them what their daughter was thinking, but now they were stuck with what to do next - whether to inform Emma before Whale got there that she would not being going home that day or to leave it to Whale.

"Em," David crossed his arms over his chest and spoke in a gentle tone, "are you sure that you should be packing just yet? We're not sure what Whale's going to say just yet."

Mary Margret hid her face at David's needless attempt at trying to be subtle, it was incredibly sweet of him to try to, but they both knew how it would turn out; Emma would refuse to acknowledge that she was ill and there was no way that she would be leaving the hospital, so it could only end badly.

"Of course." Emma shrugged. "I already know what Whale's going to say." She said as she pushed her knitted blanket inside of the bag.

Mary Margret and David shared another look and Mary Margret placed her hand on her husband's shoulder. "Emma," she asked, "what is it that you think Doctor Whale will say?"

But before Emma had a chance to answer the doctor walked through the door.

"Hello Emma, Mary Margret, David." He greeted them all as he picked up Emma's chart.

"I'm feeling much better." Emma told him bluntly.

"You are looking much better than when you originally came in." Whale gave her a brief smile before he looked back down at the notes in front of him. "I see you had quite a bad night with your asthma last night." He noted. "And your temperature became really bad again."

"But I'm fine now." Emma interrupted.

David laid his hand on Emma's shoulder and squeezed gently. He kept his eyes on Whale and waited for him to continue talking.

Whale kept using his optimistic doctor voice. "And I think that, so long as you continue to improve at the rate that you have been, I think you'll be okay to head home in five to six days."

Emma's shoulders tensed.

Mary Margret and David sucked in their breath.

Even Whale seemed to freeze.

"Five days?"

"Or six." Whale reiterated.

"That's pretty much a week!" Emma's mouth gaped open in shock after she had expected to have been allowed home that day.

"Well it's either that or you leave here today and end up back here within two days looking like an extra from The Walking Dead." Whale smirked as he tried to repress his own memories of the dead coming back to life.

Emma narrowed her eyes at the doctor before she allowed the corners of her mouth to curl up into a combination of a smile and a glare. "Well, I have always liked that show."

"Thank you, Doctor Whale," Mary Margret interrupted, "we'll see you again tomorrow." She stared sternly down at her daughter who glared up at her. She could see her husband's hand was still on Emma's shoulder, squeezing gently, no doubt that was the only thing which was keeping Emma sat on the bed.

Whale quickly ducked out of the room, though a smirk was attached to his face, he doubted that the conversation Emma was about to have with her parents would want an audience though it would have been entertaining.

*OUAT*

Emma felt her blood boiling. There was no way on heaven or earth that she was going to stay in the hospital for one more night. But judging from the looks her parents were giving her they were going to be just as stubborn as her about their view, and unluckily for Emma it was two against one. That left her with three options.  
One: She could inform her parents that she was going to discharge herself after all she was an adult. Though she wasn't sure how well that one would work on her parents – which would move her on to option two.  
Two: She would convince her parents that she would be better at home away from the stress and horribleness of the hospital and the annoying sarcastic quips from Whale, plus it would mean that her parents wouldn't have to keep switching to look after Neal and having Granny or Belle look after him.  
Three: If all that came to naught, she would have to ask Henry to fulfil his end of the deal when he visited that afternoon and help her sneak out of the hospital, once home her parents would see that she was fine and would finally let her stay home.

David let go of Emma's shoulder, he crossed his arms over his chest, and shot a weary look at Mary Margret.

Mary Margret matched David's look which then changed to one of their usual silent conversations. Mary Margret eventually rolled her eyes having lost the argument over who was going to start the conversation with Emma. "Emma, you'll be out of here before you know it." Mary Margret said gently.

"I know." Emma replied calmly.

"You do?" Mary Margret asked surprised. "Well that's good-"

"-Yeah, of course I know." Emma interrupted just as calmly as she had been speaking before. She moved to the edge of the hospital bed, grabbed hold of her blanket which had been hidden under the bedsheets, and started to pick at the bandage which was wrapped around the I.V in her arm.

"Emma," David asked confused as to what was going on, "what are you doing?"

"I'm going to take my I.V" She told him as though it was obvious.

"No, you're not." David leant down and took her hand, which was picking at the bandage, in his own. "Only a nurse is going to take that out of your arm. Why were you trying to take it out?" he added his tone suspicious

Emma made her eyebrows furrow to make it seem that she was confused about his question. She decided that if she said it with enough conviction she would be able to convince her parents that this was something she wasn't changing her mind on. "I'm checking myself out of here."

"No you're not." David said firmly.

"Erm, yes, I am." Emma rolled her eyes and started to move again but suddenly felt her father's grip on her shoulder reappear – only this time it was much tighter.

"Emma you heard what Whale said." Mary Margret said giving her a pointed look.

"He's being over dramatic." Emma rolled her eyes "I'll discharge myself against medical advice."

"We won't allow you to put your health in danger like that Emma" David informed her firmly "We're putting out foot down on this."

"You can't stop me!" Emma's could hear that her voice sounded petulant and childish, and normally she would have been concerned about that, or at least would have cared- but the looks of disappointment her parents were giving her made her file that away for a while. She knew at that point she wasn't going to be able to leave the hospital this way.

"You're staying here." David said quietly, but with strictness, which he combined with his 'dad' look.

"Until Whale says you can leave." Mary Margret added just as firmly.

*OUAT*

"Dad?"

Emma's quiet voice forced David to squeeze his eyes shut, she had been extremely grumpy and quiet since their earlier conversation, and he knew that tone of voice. He raised his eyebrows at her, not quite in warning, but certain in hesitation at her next words. "Emma?"

"I know that you're not… _keen…_ about my discharging myself but," Emma picked at her hands as she tried to convince her father while her mother was out of the room, "I would be fine at home."

"Emma, Doctor Whale thinks you'll be better here." He reminded her quietly.

"Yeah but I would get better quicker at home." Emma argued.

"You still need to be on the I.V, your pneumonia's still really bad, not to mention your broken ribs."

"They're basically better."

"Emma you've got over a month until they're healed, you forget I've had broken ribs before, I know how much they hurt."

"You've not had broken ribs." Emma frowned, he'd been grazed by a bullet, poisoned, punched, lost his heart and had to share one with her mother, lost his memory, and knocked out - but she didn't remember a single time he had broken his ribs.

David shook his head in amusement. "It was before you were born, you know your mother and I did have lives before you and Neal were born? There's a story book with parts of our lives in it and everything." He smirked.

Emma rolled her eyes. "I bet you didn't have to stay in hospital for that."

It was then David's turn to roll his eyes as Emma started to make puppy dog eyes at him. "Because we didn't _have_ hospitals, if we had, I would have gotten checked out, and I would have to have followed the doctor's orders."

Emma frowned. "No you wouldn't."

David managed to refrain from smiling at managing to distract her. "Of course I would!" He pretended to be offended. "Or at least I would have if your mother had made me."

"I thought you'd understand." Emma whined the medicine which was being pumped into her arm was starting to make her feel sleepy. "I heard you once rode after a murderer while you were ill."

"Well then, you're lucky that there's no murderers running errant and that there's another sheriff and other people at the station to help even if there were, so you wouldn't have to help out." David countered. "Wait, how did you know about that? I don't remember telling you it, and I doubt your mother would have told you about it, she wouldn't want you to get any ideas."

"I may have overheard you when I was pretending to be asleep last time I was in this hell hole." Emma said slightly abashedly.

David crossed his arms over his chest and put on his sheriff look. "Have your parents ever told you that it's impolite to eavesdrop?" He joked.

Emma shrugged. "Never been caught." She told him cheekily. "Please daddy, I will get better so much quicker at home, please." She dragged out knowing she'd be able to break her dad.

"No." He registered Emma's look of shock. "I know you hate this place, Em, and I know you'd feel better to have your mom and me in the same place at the same time but you're not well enough to go home yet. I promise you that as soon as you are I'll carry you out of the door myself. But until that moment, which I'm sure you're now _totally_ looking forward to, stop asking your mom and me- our answer isn't going to change."

"I thought that you were meant to be the cool parent." Emma grumbled in a last ditch attempt to convince him.

"Nope," he frowned as though confused, "I thought that my 'dad' jokes would have taught you that by now."

Emma just rolled her eyes as she tried to fight a smile, his lame jokes were making it very hard for her to stay grumpy at him, that being said she really wasn't looking forward to having to resort to plan three.

"Seriously, I'm even thinking about buying some Hawaiian shirts."

"You wouldn't dare." Emma narrowed her eyes.

"Socks and sandals too."

"No."

"And those cargo-pants that unzip into shorts."

"You're not funny."

*OUAT*

Despite her short sabbatical into a slightly good mood as the day progressed her mood got worse and worse, she couldn't say one pleasant word to her parents, even when Neal got there she was quiet and off with them. Not to mention she still seemed slightly anxious when one of them left which seemed to be making her annoyed at both herself and at them. David and Mary Margret had both volunteered to collect Henry from school to simply be able to take respite from the atmosphere in the room momentarily but Regina had insisted on taking Henry herself – which David was sure she did as she still liked to see them suffer slightly every now and again. David however had won the battle in meeting their grandson at the front of the hospital as it was his turn to stay with Emma that night.

"Hey mom!" Henry beamed as he bounded into the room

The atmosphere immediately changed, like seeing the first sun beam after a storm, Emma's mood completely changed around. David shot a flabbergasted look at Mary Margret who hid her giggle behind Neal's head.

"Hey Kid!" Emma said just as enthusiastically. "How was school? How'd the math test go?"

Henry pulled a piece of paper out of his backpack. "Really good! Look I got a B plus."

"That's awesome, you manage to do that theorem thing?"

"Pythagoras theorem? Yup, I had like three questions on it and I got them all."

"Hey you'll be in Harvard before we know it." Emma joked. "How was the drama between Billy and Hansel?"

"They almost had a fight at lunch."

"Really?" Emma asked in a way which was probably too enthusiastically for a parent to say. "Oh hey, did you get my texts?"

"Yeah I did." Henry briefly glanced at his grandparents before he looked back at his mom. "I think it's a good idea."

Mary Margret took hold of David's hand tearing his stare away from Emma and Henry and to his wife and son instead.

"Why don't we go get some dinner for all of us?" she suggested quietly.

"From the canteen?" David frowned.

"I was thinking we could drive to Granny's."

"Yeah?" David tilted his head as he took in his wife's face which didn't look overly certain about them leaving Emma. "I think those two would be okay here."

"Are you sure? She's not a fan of us leaving at the moment- plus what if something goes wrong?"

"I know how you're feeling, I don't exactly want to leave her either, but if we don't all get a small break from being stuck in this room with each other we'll all go mad."

Mary Margret nodded slowly bring won back over to her own idea. "We'll ask her first."

"Of course." David stroked Mary Margret's back. "Hey Em?" David called over. "Your mom and I were thinking about going to get some food from Granny's for us all."

"That's a good idea." Emma said straight away.

"It is?" Mary Margret asked surprised.

"Yeah," Emma shrugged, "we'll see you again very soon."

Mary Margret looked surprised at David who simply shrugged back. "Oh, okay, you want the usual?"

"Please." Emma and Henry said at the same time with a grateful smile each.

David and Mary Margaret shot each other another slightly confused look but were grateful that they would be able to spend a little bit of time with just the two of them, well with Neal too, but he could be easily distracted by his toys…

"Okay… Well, we'll be back soon, okay?" David questioned.

"Yeah, Gramps, we'll see you again soon." Henry copied what his mother had said.

*OUAT*

"Okay so what do we have to do first?" Henry asked his mother as soon as Mary Margret and David had left the room.

"You pack my stuff in my bag while I get myself detached from these stupid machines." She watched Henry nod and move towards the cupboard where her bag and clothes were. She looked over to at the machine which showed her bpm and oxygen, she could tell that her oxygen was still a little low at about eighty, and she deep down she knew that she should probably have that fixed first… not to mention how pissed her parents were going to be… but she decided that the means would justify the ends when she was finally out of the hospital and perhaps she would stop having so many nightmares. She leant over to the machine and muted the volume on the machine before she pulled the measurer off of her finger. She unravelled the bandages from her arm then winced as she pulled the I.V out of her arm she blotted the blood with the bandages then noticed that Henry was staring at her.

"Are you _sure_ that you're well enough to sneak out?" He asked her uncertainly.

"Henry." She sighed affectionately. "I will be absolutely fine. I just need a little bit of rest which I will do at home."

"Okay." Henry said with a small smile and a nod but then he frowned. "How are you going to get to the fire exit?"

"I thought I'd take my motorbike."

"You have broken painful ribs." Henry rolled his eyes.

Emma sighed. "I'm going to use my magic, it will only work for a little while though as I'm not yet back to one hundred percent." She saw Henry looking at her slightly sceptically. "I'm almost at one hundred percent, honestly, I'm at like ninety seven, ninety five minimum."

"Okay, I suppose I'll still help you then." Henry gave her another small smile.

"Good, you are my son after all, you kind of have to help me."

"Or what?" Henry rose one eyebrow, looking only too like his grandfather, which scared Emma slightly.

"Or I'd ground you for life." Emma joked. She waved her hand, from her head down to her ribs, as she did so the cut on her head and her black eye disappeared and the pain in her ribs, arm, and wrists went also. She pulled on some shoes her parents had brought in, they weren't the ones she would usually wear especially with having to walk home, but they were the only ones she had. "Go on then what's this called?"

"What's what?"

"You know what I'm talking about." Emma fixed him a knowing look. "You must have a name for this, I don't know operation snake or eagle?"

"Eagle?"

"Like the eagle has left the nest and I'm leaving this place."

"Yeah… no we're not calling it that. It's called operation marmoset."

"I don't even know what one of those is, kid."

"It's like a monkey." He told her but received only a blank look in return. "The baby marmoset are really attached to their dads."

"Okay…?" Emma shook her head confused.

"Well, we're copying your dad's way out of the hospital."

"So not operation vulture?" Henry then copied her blank look. "You know because my parents are kill me?"

Henry laughed. "You still want to do this?" He asked her once he stopped laughing.

"Yeah. Yeah, I need to get out of here and back to normality, and I promise you that I'll be fine at home." She pushed herself up off the bed. "Can you grab my bag? Thanks kid. Okay you lead the way."

Henry opened the door out of his mother's room and waited for a nurse to walk past before he gestured to Emma to follow him.

*OUAT*

The drive over to Granny's was silent, David hadn't even turned on the radio in Mary Margret's station wagon, Mary Margret tapped her foot on the floor on the car and David unintentionally matched the rhythm with his hand on the steering while as they waited at the stop light.

"At least Emma didn't look too anxious when we left." Mary Margret said quietly.

"Yeah." David hummed. "She, she didn't, did she?"

"Yeah." Mary Margret copied. "She wouldn't…I mean she'll be fine with us gone, won't she?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah totally." David agreed staring at the light which was still red. "She wouldn't do anything, I mean, she wouldn't leave the hospital… would she?"

"I… No. No… no." Mary Margret agreed. She glanced back over at David. "I mean she wouldn't

"Well, she has tried before…But she wouldn't do that again, not after we just told her not to, and she's sicker than she was when she first tried to sneak out, and she knows that we would go out of our minds with worry if we got back there and she was just gone after what happened with her-"

"-David."

"Yes?" He looked over at his wife's face and could see she was just as worried as he was that their daughter would be there when they got back.

"Take a U-turn." She told him.

He did as she told him straight away, glad that she was the one who told him to do so then he wouldn't be told he was overreacting by her. "I'm sure that nothing's wrong."

"Yeah totally."

"We can always just say we forgot to grab something."

"Yeah, I mean for all we know we did forget something." Mary Margret suggested pleasantly.

"Yeah, we did leave rather quickly." David agreed. "Although, Emma doesn't even have to know we came back, we could just wait by front and the fire exit I went through that one time and when nothing happens we can drive back to Granny's."

"Plus it's not like she'll be able to get out of the hospital Regina put on a border spell on the hospital to keep just Emma out."

David hesitated before he spoke again. "Do you want me to turn back to Granny's?"

"We could… but then I'd feel happier if we had some peace of mind." She looked at him hopefully.

"If that's what my wife wants then that is what my wife shall get." He gave her a charming smile before turning his eyes back to the road.

*OUAT*

Emma could feel her feet dragging as they walked down the corridor. They had already had to dive into storage rooms three times as they wove through what was the longest but also the quietest route to the fire exit.

"Are you okay mom?" Henry asked yet again his tone having grown more and more worried each time he asked. He looked back at his mother, he was happy that they had finally got to the fire exit as his mother was slowing down considerably, by the looks of it Emma's magic was starting to wear off the bruise on her eye at an alarming rate and that was the injury which he could see.

"I'm fine kid." Emma winced and quickly let go of her ribs so he wouldn't worry too much. "Oh look we're here," she quickly distracted him before he bailed, "let's go." She pulled her jacket closer around her, she wasn't sure if it was the hospital getting colder or if it was her, but she knew that it was only going to get colder as they had to stumble through the woods in the cold snow before they would even reach a main road let alone their nice warm home again.

A wall of cold hit their faces as they opened the door to the exit.

"Mom, are you-"

"- Kid, if you ask me that one more time I'll make sure that there's no poptarts at home next time your other mom makes you eat a healthy breakfast."

"My lips are sealed." He led the way out of the door his feet sank into the snow and he turned to look at what was keeping his mother.

Emma walked forward, or at least she tried to, as soon as she tried to walk through the doorway it was like she hit an invisible wall. She took a step back in shock and confusion before she tried again, then again, and again.

"Mom?" Henry took a step back towards her. "What's going on?"

"I can't walk through." Emma's voice went as high as it could, considering it was still hoarse and could only just reach normal volume if she shouted, as she panicked over what was happening.

Henry rushed back over as he saw his mom try to push her hands through an invisible barrier.

The two of them were two busy being confused to see David walk out from behind a tree across from the door with a seriously angry look on his face.

"' _What's going on'_ is that there was a boarder spell put around the hospital keeping only Emma from crossing it."

Emma froze at the sound at the sound of her father's voice. She didn't dare to speak just yet, or to look in his general direction, and to look actually _at_ him was completely out of the question.

"A spell," David continued growing angrier by the second as he saw what state Emma was in, "which Mary Margret and I felt bad about having Regina put on the hospital, but I see now is perfectly justified."

Emma finally looked up but the look David was giving her was making her want to look away. "Dad-"

"-No, Emma, don't you 'dad' me." David interrupted. "What the _hell_ were you playing at? You deliberately misled your mother and me so we would leave you alone _just so you could sneak out_. Did you even think for a second about your health?" he shouted.

Emma hesitated before she answered unsure whether to answer him or not. "I magic-ed myself better until I'd make it home." She defended herself quietly.

"Oh did you?" David scoffed. "I'm guessing that you haven't caught sight of yourself then. Your black eye is worse than it was before, you're whiter than a piece of paper, and – is that blood in your hair?" he moved over to her and turned her to the side so he could examine her head. "Your magic has made your head split back open." He turned her back around to face him but kept his hands on her shoulders. He could feel her shaking from the cold under his hands and he could hear the wheezing in her fast breathing.

"Gramps-"

"No, Henry, though I'm sure this is mainly your mother's doing." David shot them both severe looks. "I'm going to ring Mary Margret to meet us back in the room, she was waiting at the front in the hopes that we were wrong and that we could just go back to Granny's and feel silly about ourselves, both of you stay where you are." He walked back towards the trees so he could talk to his wife in private.

Emma leant against the wall with a sigh, David was right, every single part of her hurt and she felt like she could sleep for a week. She was even looking forward to being able to put the oxygen mask on as she felt her breathing being shallow and her lungs hurt.

"I don't think I'm the one who's going to be grounded for life." Henry muttered to his mother as they were shot a stern look which made them both put their heads down sharpish.

"Sorry, kid this wasn't your fault, I'll make sure you don't get crucified." Emma promised quietly not wanting to irate her father any more. She found herself leaning against the wall even heavier and she watched David hang up and walk back over to them.

"Let's get you both back to the room, your mother and grandmother is anxious to see you two," he nodded his head towards Henry making him start walking down the corridor while he stood in front of Emma and picked her up in one fell swoop.

"Dad?" Emma quietly tested wanting to gage how much trouble she was in.

"I don't want to talk to you right now, Emma, let's get you back to your room then we'll discuss this."

Emma bit her lip as she felt the guilt set in. This whole expedition was so not worth it.

*OUAT*

David walked back into the room where Emma, Mary Margret, and Neal were waiting. He had just taken Henry to Regina who had been informed of the stunt he and Emma had pulled though he had made sure that she knew that they believed it was mainly Emma's fault.

Emma had tried to talk to her parents several times, while they had all been waiting for Regina to show up, but apparently her parents weren't ready to have any sort of discussion with her while Henry was still there – which if truth be told worried her slightly. What worried her completely, however, were her parent's faces of anger and disappointment; well, when they actually looked at her, which they managed to be doing a fantastic job of avoiding so far. Mary Margret even sat brushing sleeping Neal's hair out of his face while David had gone from the room with Henry in tow. But now her dad was back, he shared a look with her mother, who stood up and moved towards the bed with David at her side. Emma suddenly wished to be very far away, or to have the oxygen mask on instead of the nasal cannula so she could at least block some of this out, in fact scratch that, she wished she had never left the bed at all; at least then she would have been able to spend the evening eating Granny's and playing some card game Henry had clearly made up, and yes she would still be stuck in the hospital, but at least she wouldn't have completely messed up, and her parents wouldn't be looking at her like that.

"Emma." Mary Margret kept her voice quiet and calm. "Would you like to explain to us what happened."

"I… I was just…" Emma grasped for words but found herself lacking them.

"Walk us through exactly how you got from here to that fire exit." Mary Margret continued just as calmly.

Emma knew it was a trick but she also knew that if she didn't say anything she would be in as just as much trouble. "I erm… disconnected myself from the machines-"

"-The machines that are giving you medicine and letting us know that you're breathing correctly?" David interrupted. Emma nodded. "Just checking, carry on."

Emma stopped herself from wincing at the hardness in her father's tone. "We sneaked from here to the fire exit dad went out of during the first curse, we used quiet corridors so that we weren't caught, then when we got to the fire exit I couldn't get out and Dad was there."

"And how long did that take you?" Mary Margret asked.

Emma flickered her eyes to her father, to see if he was confused also but apparently he knew what was going on, she looked back at her mother. "About fifteen maybe twenty minutes?" she guessed.

"And in any of that time," Mary Margret's voice grew louder and lost its calm edge, "did you even _think_ about what your father and I would have felt like when we came back in here with food for all of our family and found the room empty with the bed a mess and blood on the sheets from your arm? Not to mention all the nurses who were running around searching for you and trying to get hold of us and the sheriff's office."

"I…I… I didn't… I just…" Emma mouth opened and shut repeatedly as she searched for an excuse or at least some words – _any_ answer really. She _genuinely_ hadn't thought of that.

"I'm going to assume from your fish impression that you _hadn't_ thought of that." David said in a deadpan voice. "What exactly did you think _was_ going to happen?"

"I… I just figured that they would have met me at home and that you'd be a little annoyed and slightly frustrated, but you'd ultimately realise that I was okay."

"Okay?! Okay?!" Mary Margret shouted before lowering her voice purely to make sure that Neal wouldn't wake up. "Emma, Doctor Whale had to come and sew up your head, and your magic made every single one of your injuries worse Emma. You were told that you weren't well enough to leave so that means you're meant to stay exactly where you were, your father and I both spoke to you today to try and explain to you why you still had to stay, just like how we both spoke to you the last time you were in here and tried to sneak out. "

"Emma, you could have been seriously hurt, you had almost passed out just from walking down the corridor, what would have happened if you passed out in the woods? Was Henry meant to just leave you passed out in the frozen woods and just hope you weren't buried in snow?"

"And what's worse is you dragged him into this because we know fully well that that boy did not come up with this plan."

"I know, I shouldn't have got Henry to-"

"-You shouldn't have done it at all!" David shouted.

Emma sank down in the bed and blinked back tears in her eyes.

David sighed and sat down on the side of the bed. "Emma, your mom and I love you, we care about you so unbelievably much."

"So when you do something like this and put yourself in danger we have no idea what we're meant to do. You really need to stop putting yourself in danger, whether that's by trying to get out of the hospital, or by trying to take villains on by yourself." Mary Margret sat on the other side of the bed and brushed the blonde hair out of Emma's eyes as the blonde tried to hide any tears from her parents.

"I really am sorry." Emma said quietly. "I didn't think I know I should have… I didn't mean to make you worry I just wanted all of us to be able to be home away from all the strange people who can just walk around the hospital and to be able to just be together and I really didn't mean to-"

"-Emma, kiddo, shhh, just breathe a second." David calmed seeing that she was starting to get hysterical. "You are completely safe in this hospital Emma, nothing is going to happen to you, your mom and I won't let it. But you really do need to think about consequences from your actions." He reprimanded quietly.

"Please don't hate me." Emma said quietly her voice full of sadness.

David and Mary Margret frowned at each other though they knew that it was all the medicine she was on and her exhaustion which was messing with her emotions. "We don't hate you Emma." Mary Margret assured as she pressed a kiss to Emma's forehead.

"We could never hate you kiddo." David agreed. "But for now you have lost our trust." He almost broke when she looked at him with sad eyes but he felt Mary Margret gently squeeze his arm in solidarity. "Which means that you're going to have either your mom or I with you at all times."

Emma frowned but nodded. "How long until I can win your trust back?"

"We're not sure just yet, sweetheart." Mary Margret told her. "But we will let you know."

"It gets won back quicker if you _actually_ behave." David smirked.

Emma shot him a small smile back and quickly tried to hide a yawn.

"Get some sleep, Emma." Mary Margret smiled.

Emma frowned again she really was starting to wish that she hadn't gone through with any of it and that she had simply stayed where she was meant to be, then she wouldn't sleep through actually having both of her parents in the same room as her, which only happened for a few hours every day as they had Neal to take into consideration.

David pressed a kiss to the top of Emma's head. "We'll wake you up in an hour so you can spend some time with your mom before she take your brother home." He promised.

"We'll be right by your side when you wake up." Mary Margret assured.

Emma led back and closed her eyes.

"Do you want me to stay with the kids or for me to go grab some food for us?" David asked after Emma had fallen asleep, he put his arm around Mary Margret as they sat on the couch beside Neal, and she leaned into him.

"Stay with us." Mary Margret requested. She turned her head and kissed his lips softly. "Emma's not the only one who wants to have all the family in the same place."

David kissed her again. "Well you won't get any arguments from me."

"I'll ring Ruby and she said that she'd sort out delivery for our food while Emma's in here."

David smiled and let a breath of laugher out. "She would have totally have spoilt her god daughter wouldn't she?"

Mary Margret let out a breath of laughter also. "She would have. But then she would have been spoilt by her daddy also, in fact, she already has her daddy wrapped around her finger."

"Well, I had to compete with her mommy who had already bonded with her, whereas she hated me."

"She didn't hate you!" Mary Margret protested.

"She looked like she was going to punch me in the middle of Main Street." David said though his voice was gleeful.

"Only because she liked you already, she was rooting for us, trust me."

"Of course she should have been rooting for us," David smirked, "if her mommy and daddy hadn't meant to have been together she wouldn't have been born in the first place." He leant his head down and began to kiss his wife again, ringing Ruby could hang on for a minute, or ten.


	30. Chapter 30

In the five days following Emma's busted escape attempt her parent's stayed true to their word and at least one of them had always been by Emma's side, sure Emma would have usually have been annoyed by their behaviour, but she couldn't find it in her heart as she had to admit she felt much safer with one of them there the entire time; the whole kidnapping thing had really changed her, for the time being, at least. Henry had visited Emma once in that time and although they had had a good time Emma's mood was soured with guilt once Henry had gone when she was made aware by Regina that Henry would be staying at her until Emma was completely better. Emma was assured by her parents that it was mainly for their benefit so they wouldn't have to worry about Henry as well as her and Neal, but she was sure the real reason was the fact that she dragged Henry into her plan even though he wasn't exactly ecstatic about being part of it, in fact she was sure the only reason he agreed was because he didn't like the fact that she was stuck in hospital and they had barely seen each other. If Emma was telling the truth, she would have wanted to keep Henry with her too, had Regina done the same thing.

Emma had been trying harder to not be quite as grumpy around her parents, and for the most part it had made it slightly easier, but every time that Doctor Whale walked through the door she felt an overwhelming urge to throw a tray or a bedpan or something at his face as she knew he would make a joke or several thousand about her likelihood of getting discharged that day, well that was until her father happened to 'go to the canteen' at the same time as Whale was leaving; after that Whale made many less jokes.

But today Whale entered the room with a smile, _no_ a _smirk_ , on his face.

David looked down at Emma who practically bristled as soon as Whale entered, but then he felt Mary Margret slip her hand into his, he turned to his wife and shared a smile; Whale had discussed with them the potential of releasing Emma that day, she'd be on bedrest for a while, but he figured Emma would get a more fulfilling rest at her home.

Whale placed the stethoscope around his neck and marked a note on Emma's file. "So, Miss Swan, how are you feeling?"

Emma rolled her eyes. "I'm fine." She said for what was probably the twelve thousandth time since she first got ill.

"Okay, that's good, if you are telling the truth." Whale continued to smirk as he heard her repeat her broken record answer. "Well, in that case, I will be willing to sign your discharge papers."

Emma narrowed her eyes at the doctor. "I see you've added a new bit to your routine, it's hilarious." .She told him dryly.

"I'm not joking. You will be on bedrest for a couple of weeks, and you'll be on a lot of medicine for at least that time plus you will be unable to work for at least a month."

"Wait seriously? I can go home?" Emma's mouth hung open in shock.

Whale just nodded at her "Unless you would like to stay for longer?" He offered.

"I'm good." Emma said quickly and started pushing herself off of the bed.

David laughed at Emma's quickness but then saw her try to hide a wince so he quickly moved to her side and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Take it easy, Em, there's no reason to rush." The look on her face told him that she thought otherwise.

"I'll have the nurses get all your forms and I'll send your prescription to the hospital pharmacy, you'll be able to leave by about half an hour's time."

"Thank you." Emma smiled genuinely.

Whale nodded, and left, clearly just as uncomfortable as Emma at not being at their being kind to each.

Emma stared at the door the a second before she felt her parents staring down at her, her father looked at her in amusement, while her mother looked at her fondly with a sort of understanding. "I can go home." She told them with a casual shrug but she couldn't hide the pride smile on her face.

"You can." Mary Margret smiled with pride down at her. "Here, I'll help you get dressed while your father goes and gets your medicine."

"Mom, I-"

"Listen to your mother, Em, it's much easier that way, believe me." David said with a laugh.

*OUAT*

By the time David got back with Emma's filled out prescriptions Emma was dressed and was sat crossed legged on the bed, Neal had grown tired of playing quietly with his toys and was now sat next to Emma on the bed telling her all about his dinosaur. Mary Margret was checking and rechecking the cupboards to make sure they had everything. He noticed that Emma had the bear he had given her sat on her lap as she played with her little brother and let him include it in his story.

David walked over to Mary Margret and took hold of her hand. "Think we've got everything?" He smiled gently at her.

Mary Margret turned to him and laid her hand on his chest. "Yes, you know me, I just wanted to triple check." She pressed a kiss to his lips which lasted longer than she had intended when they pulled apart they both had smiles on their faces. David brushed his hand through her hair as they looked at each other fondly, they both felt a huge relief taken off of them, although Emma was still really ill at least she was going home, and they'd all be together. "We've got all of the discharged papers sorted, I'll go take them to the nurses' station, if you want to tell your daughter that it's hospital policy that she leaves the hospital in a wheelchair."

"Oh god," David groaned, "I forgot about that. I see you get the easy job." He joked, his hands on her sides.

Mary Margret shot a quick look at their children and was happy to see that they were both till fully directed, Emma was happy to not be hooked up to machines so she could play with Neal, so much so that she wasn't even paying any attention to them. Mary Margret pulled David down towards her to kiss him again. "I'll make it up to you." She whispered the promise into his ear. She kissed him again then moved away and towards the door.

David smiled and shook his head at the closed door, no matter how long they had been together he was still so in love with her, sometimes it still completely blew him over that she chose him. He quickly recovered and walked over to his children.

"Daddy!"

"Hey buddy, what's your dragon doing to Emmy's bear?" he smirked as Emma's eyes narrow slightly but she couldn't keep up the glaring pretence.

"Winning!" He told his father triumphantly as he had the dragon attack Emma's bear.

"Yeah apparently dragons beat bears every time," Emma explained, "no matter what."

David smiled at the look on Emma's face, apparently she had been trying to win, but Neal had other ideas. "Well, haven't you heard that Emmy's bear has magic, buddy? He should be careful in case Emmy's bear freezes him."

Neal gasped dramatically and held the dragon to his chest. Emma took her bear and pretended to shoot magic at the dragon, Neal had his dragon die a dramatic death, causing Emma and David to laugh. He then then got distracted and decided that his dragon wanted to ride in his toy car.

David took a seat next to Emma and smiled as she leant against him. "I'm guessing that you're excited to go home?"

"What gave it away? Was it my love of being in this hospital?"

"Wait, you don't like this hospital?" David frowned with a smile on his face. "I'm glad you're coming home, kiddo, we all are. I'm sure that you'll be so excited to get out of this place, no matter how."

"Urgh," Emma groaned, "I'm not having to leave in a wheelchair am I?"

"Nothing gets passed you, huh, kiddo?" David smiled. "But this is the only way they'll let you leave, plus you're not really up to walking anywhere, let alone through the hospital."

Emma rolled her eyes but didn't object. "You guys are going to be really sticking to this whole bedrest thing, aren't you?"

"Would you really expect any different?" He placed his arm around her.

"I guess not." Emma murmured. "I guess it's worth it to be able to go home. Why's that bag so big by the way?" She asked eyeing the bag on the bedside table.

"It's all your medicines," he told her, "all of which you have to take." He eyed her seriously, though he doubted that telling her now would do much, knowing Emma she'd be trying to avoid taking them by the end of the week.

Emma plastered a look of innocence on her face "Of course."

David laughed. "Oh yeah, butter wouldn't melt." He smirked.

Emma smiled but then bit her lip and looked down at her lap. "I'm sorry."

David looked down at her and tried to catch sight of her face but she was hiding it. "Why are you sorry?"

Emma shrugged then sighed, which made her cough, she internally berated herself as she should have known that would happen by now. "I just… I know that I've been a pain, and I shouldn't have tried to sneak out, especially using Henry."

"-Em." David tried to interrupt her, he now recognised what her panicking sounded like and wanted to head it off before it started, plus she seemed to get emotional and panicked when she was ill; she was still only just getting used to having a family while being ill even if she was pretty much used to it otherwise.

"-No. I've been acting really childishly, and really worrying you and mom, and I shouldn't be you already have Neal to look after and worry about especially as you've been going from here to home and back and –"

"Emma Ruth." David interrupted, successfully this time, he took hold of her hand with one hand and tilted her chin up to look at him. "No matter what you do, you and Neal are always going to be our children and we will always worry about you and care for you equally, no matter how old you are; and if you expect any different you're grossly mistaken. And, yes you made a bad decision, but we all make them. You were desperate to get out of here, I'm sure that if I had had someone here to help me escape, I would have tried to do the same thing." He admitted. "But once I got my family, and if I was as ill as you were, I wouldn't have done that. Your mom and I are pretty selfish, you know, we don't want to lose you and we'll do anything to stop that from happening."

"That's not selfish." Emma muttered and despite her father's words she still felt a little guilty.

"Maybe not, maybe it's just a parent thing, or a family thing." David smiled. "Em, don't punish yourself by feeling beating yourself up, I'm pretty sure your mom and I handled the whole 'punishment' thing." He saw her face change to one of slight embarrassment slash disagreement. "Oh please, you know we totally did, not to brag but we're getting pretty good at this while parenting thing."

"Yeah, you're pretty great, but then I might be biased." David pulled her closer and kissed the top of her head. "Wait, where's mom? She's been gone forever."

"She went to drop your forms off at the nurses' station so we can get you out of here and give them the chocolates and thank you card to them." He told her.

"Wait, you already knew that I was gonna be allowed home?"

"Yeah we wanted it to be a surprise though."

"Is she thanking all of them individually?" She shook off her father's arm and threw herself back so that she was laying on the bed. "Ow… ribs, bad move."

David rolled his eyes at his daughter's impatience.

Emma felt a small hand tap her shoulder so turned her head to face her little brother. "What's up squirt?"

"Who's he?" he asked her as he held up the teddy bear.

"Erm," Emma hesitated, "he doesn't have a name yet."

"Why?"

"I just haven't given one."

"Why?"

"I just haven't squirt."

"Why?"

David scooped Neal up into his arms then turned him upside down making him giggle, before righting him again. "You think he's going to grow out of asking that word for about an hour soon?"

"He better."

*OUAT*

David set Emma back down onto her feet, when they reached the landing on the third floor of the building, he had carried her up the stairs with ease but figured that she would want to step foot in the loft by herself for the first time by herself. He walked slowly behind Emma, he had his arms ready to dart out and save Emma if she started to fall, much like he did while Neal was learning how to walk; however this was slightly more stressful especially as Emma was still wincing from her broken ribs. But despite his attention he almost walked into Emma when she suddenly stopped just before she reached the doorway.

Emma _had_ to stop in the doorway. She had felt slightly uneasy in the car home, as the last time she remembered being in a car was when she was in the trunk, she knew that she was _actually_ last in her dad's truck; but the smell of her mother's station wagon and her brother talking to her by her side and her parents talking in the front of the car took away her unease. But standing in front of the door was completely different, it felt like an entire lifetime since she was home, even if it was only a week or two. It would have been better if there was no difference since she was last there, after all even after she found them after they came back from the Enchanted Forest shortly before Neal was born, but the door was a different colour that it used to be and there was no number on the door yet.

David followed Emma's line of sight to the door then to Mary Margret who had come to see what was taking the two of them so long, their eyes met, then they both looked at the door they had wanted to get it returned to normal but they hadn't had nearly enough time to be able to and they had brought a number for the door but hadn't put it up yet.

"I can make you some hot chocolate sweetie," Mary Margret as she watched David wrap his arm around Emma, "it's much better than the hospital canteen's and it might even rival Granny's."

"That sounds good, mom." Emma smiled but sent a hesitant look at the door once again.

"You ready to go in kiddo?" David asked quietly.

"Y- Yeah I am."

"I'll put some hot chocolate on," Mary Margret told her, "you come in when you're ready."

"I'm sorry," Emma told them, "I'm being stupid."

"You're not being stupid Em."

"Your dad's right," Mary Margret told her, "we both know how you feel. My bow and arrows are by the door, as is David's sword, if you're being stupid then so are we."

"Though you should know that even if you do decide that we're being stupid, we're not planning on moving them." David interjected.

"And we're not planning on stopping being overprotective."

"I'd argue that it's just normal levels of protective rather than being overprotective." David joked.

"Okay, you're not being stupid." Emma rolled her eyes. "Though we _all_ look stupid standing outside here when mom is offering to make hot chocolate."

"You make an excellent point," David smiled, "let's get in there so we can drink our weight in hot chocolate."

Emma finally led her father into the loft, her eyes immediately went to the spot she was last stood in the loft, and she had to admit that she was happy to see that one of her parents must have put it away somewhere.

"I'll get some hot chocolate started." Mary Margret announced.

"Woah, Neal buddy, what are you doing?" David sped over to his son who was currently attempting to throw all of Emma's clothes from her bag.

"Helping." He told his father proudly.

"He gets that from you!" Mary Margret called from the kitchen.

David shook his head in protest as he picked Neal up and hoisted him onto his hip. "Actually, this one he copied from his sister."

"Emma." Mary Margret sighed at her daughter without any heat. There was a strange moment of normalcy, though they were all sure it would end soon, but it was a nice moment nonetheless.

Emma shrugged in response. "I gotta teach the kid my tricks sometime."

"I beg to differ." Mary Margret turned up the hob as she stirred the hot chocolate mix.

"Hey, blame dad again, I could have got it from him."

"Don't 'blame dad'," David objected, "it's not my fault that our children are intent on redecorating our home." He added to his wife.

"I'm going to take a shower before you guys force me to lie in my bed in for the rest of my life." Emma ignored her father's comment.

"No."

"No?" she turned to her father with an incredulous look.

"What your father means is that a bath would be better for your ribs, plus you shouldn't get your cast wet."

"I did it in the hospital."

"With people helping you kiddo, so unless you want your mom to help you, a bath will be better."

Emma let out a deep breath. "Fine I guess I'll take a bath instead, but we're totally watching a movie later."

"Bolt!"

"I shouldn't have said a word." Emma groaned.

"I'll go run it for you."

"Mom, you don't have to."

"I know but I want to." She walked off to the bathroom to start running the bath and making sure that the bathroom was warm.

David placed Neal back down and then led Emma over to sit at the counter. "So much for that whole bedrest thing." Emma smirked triumphantly.

"I wouldn't look so proud," David smirked back and held up some cling film, "you're going straight to bed as soon as you're out of your bath. But first I'm going to wrap your cast up so you don't get it wet."

"Dad." Emma dragged his name out.

"Emma." David dragged out mockingly.

*OUAT*

Emma wouldn't admit it to her parents but the bath did help with the pain in her ribs, not that she would admit that her ribs were even hurting of course, and though the hot air from the bath made her feel slightly dizzy it was still worth it.

"Emma how was your bath?" Mary Margret as soon as she spotted the blonde, she walked over to meet her, she and David had heard Emma coughing slightly and had worried but she had stopped pretty quickly so they hadn't interfered. She linked her arm through Emma's as she noticed Emma's eyes darting towards the living room and was sure that her daughter was about to try make a break for it to the sofa.

"Mom, can't I just spend a little time on the couch?" Emma rolled her eyes.

"No, you're going to take your medicine, then you're going to get some rest." She ignored Emma as she rolled her eyes yet again. "Emma you seriously think you're going to be able to convince us to become lax on the doctor's orders? Especially on your first day home?"

"Fine I'll take the tablets then head up to bed."

"You're not up in your room at the moment, your father and I decided it would be easier for you in our room, we'll take your room until you're better."

"I'm guessing that I get no choice in this?"

"You guessed correctly." She watched Emma take the tablets she passed her then she led her through the kitchen and towards the bedroom.

"Where's dad?" Emma asked her mother just before she was led through the curtain separating the bedroom and main loft. She was quickly met with the sight of David placing all of the cushions and pillows from the loft onto the bed. Next to where Emma and Mary Margret had walked through, opposite the bed, David had moved the television and DVD player. Neal was pulling out two blankets one at a time and passing them to David who piled them on either side of the bed.

"I'm here," David smiled at her, "Neal and I are just setting up the bed so we can have a movie day."

"We get to have a movie day?" Emma sat down on the bed and Neal climbed up beside her.

"We've not had one for so long." Mary Margret moved next to David to help move the cushions so they'd be in a comfortable position to watch the movies.

*OUAT*

The family spent the rest of the day watching movies. Later on that night David, Mary Margret, and Emma watching films which weren't animated as Neal had finally fallen asleep cuddled up to his mother. Mary Margret looked down at Emma saw that Emma had fallen asleep with David's arm wrapped securely around her. She kept her eyes on her daughter as she spoke to her husband. "It looks like we lost both of them." When she didn't hear David answer she looked up expecting to see him staring down at their daughter lovingly, but instead his eyes were closed and he had fallen fast asleep. Mary Margret looked fondly at her husband and daughter, she pressed a kiss into her son's dark curls. She clicked the television remote to turn off the credits on the last movie then decided to follow her family's example.


	31. Chapter 31

Emma was woken up by the burning pain in her chest and ribs even her arm was starting to throb with pain. She was flagged on either side by her mother and father, although she should have been embarrassed by waking up in there bed with both of them with her, she couldn't bring herself to be; with them on either side she felt safe plus she was still ill, even if she was back home, she could indulge. Neal was still fast asleep in their mother's arms. With her parents so close she could see how worn out they were, they had purple bags under their eyes, and looked older than they had in a while. With David's arm wrapped around her, his face was close to her own; she could see that her father's facial hair had grown from his usual amount, which was barely a five o'clock shadow, to stubble which was verging on the start of a beard.

They needed some more rest before they woke up on their own or were woken by Neal, hell she wished that she could just continue to lay there, but the pain intensified and she knew she would have to take some of her strong pain tablets even if she didn't like taking them. She wiggled out of her father's grip she winced but made no noise, David stirred a little but didn't wake, so Emma moved herself down the bed to the end and pushed herself up to walk out of the bedroom before her movements could wake her parents or little brother.

She knew that her pneumonia was going to continue making her feel cold for a few months at least, but she hadn't expected to feel quite so cold, her whole body shook as she walked to the kitchen. She used the light from the dawn which was streaming through the loft's windows to find the correct bottle, she couldn't read the label to read the directions but remembered how many of the red and white capsules she had been given the night before. She made her way to the fridge and took her tablets with swig of juice. She decided that while she was awake she may as well get changed out of her clothes which were sticking to her with sweat. She didn't remember having any bad dreams so perhaps she had just had a high temperature during the night, though she felt freezing cold now.

The journey up the stairs was tiring, to the extent that she just wanted to curl up on her freshly made bed, but she kept shivering in the already cold room so she grabbed some pyjamas from her wardrobe. Now that her father and mother were both aware she had stolen, or liberate as she liked to put it, clothes from them she no longer had to avoid wearing them in front of them. As she grabbed a thick jumper which had been David's and some fluffy socks which had been Mary Margret's, her ribs throbbed with pain… but she also felt her heart quicken making it beat faster than it already was, and her stomach twister. She moved quickly back to the stairs dropping all her clothes on her way.

She was shocked when she managed to make it down the stairs in one piece, her asthma was making her breathe even faster than she had been as she hurried down to the main level of the loft, she didn't have any time to celebrate as she strode towards the bathroom and fell to her knees in front of the toilet just in time.

*OUAT*

David wasn't sure why he woke up, he felt some movement and assumed it was Neal, he pried open his eyes and turned to his side. Neal was curled up with Mary Margret but there was no sign of Emma. He waited for a second to try and hear some noise, before long he heard her footsteps on the stairs, and the quickening steps which were moving away from the bedroom. Something about Emma's quickened steps made him decide to get out of the warm bed, he grabbed hold of Emma's inhalers which had been left on the bedside table after she used them the night before, he figured it would be slightly easier to get Emma to take them first thing in the morning than when she was properly awake.

As he got closer to the bathroom he heard why Emma had been so quick to hurry down the stairs. He burst into the bathroom and marched over to where Emma was bent over the toilet. He held her hair back as she threw up and rubbed circles onto her back. "It's okay, Em." He continued to rub circles onto her back and felt her shaking underneath him, the bathroom was cold but he assumed that Emma still had a temperature, Emma finally finished and fell back to sit on the floor. With the bathroom now quiet, bar for Emma's loud breathing, he could hear movement coming from his bedroom.

"'m sorry." Emma mumbled as David placed his hand on her forehead to feel for her temperature.

"You have nothing to apologise for." He told her. He stood up and filled up a tumbler with water, he then helped Emma stand up and led her over to the bathroom sink, he passed her over the drink. "Here, rinse your mouth out, kiddo."

Emma did as she was told. "You shouldn't have had to see that, I _am_ sorry."

"As I just told you, you have nothing to apologise for," David rubbed Emma's back again she looked as though she was about to fall asleep, "I'm your dad this is what I do." He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and led her from the bathroom.

"What are you two doing up?" Mary Margret walked over from behind the curtain over to them.

"Emma was sick." David told her as he helped Emma sit down at the table.

"I'm fine."

Mary Margret ignored Emma's protest and placed her hand on Emma's head to feel for her temperature. "Why was she sick?"

"We hadn't got to that bit just yet." David told her. He walked over to the living room and grabbed a blanket then wrapped it around Emma.

"Emma have you been feeling ill, did that wake you up?" Mary Margret fussed, she brushed Emma's hair from her face, then felt for her temperature again.

Emma moved her head to try and shrug off her mother's hand. "No, my ribs hurt so I took a tablet, I was going to get changed but then I felt sick." Emma shrugged her shoulders, she couldn't help but wish that Neal would wake up, then at least he would be able to take at least one of their parent's attentions off of her.

Mary Margret sent a look to David who immediately walked over to the counter, he walked over to the counter and picked up the bottle which Emma had left out, he had to flick on a light to be able to read the label properly. "How are you feeling now sweetheart?" Mary Margret asked her quietly.

"Tired… and cold, that's why I was going to get changed." Emma told her quietly, she slumped down in her chair, and led her head against the cast on her arm.

David walked back over with Emma's pain tablets in his hand and a worried look on his face. He handed Mary Margret the bottle and pointed to the label, she read it quickly and exchanged a worried look with him, David crouched next to Emma's chair and led his hand on her back to get her attention. "Kiddo, what did you take these tablets with?"

"Juice." Emma said as though it was obvious.

"What your father mean is did you eat anything with them?"

Emma shook her head. "I wasn't hungry."

"Em," David chastised gently, "did you read the directions on your tablets? You have to take these with food."

"…Oh… Sorry… I didn't read it." Emma apologised sheepishly.

"I heard her moving out of bed earlier, I thought it was Neal, she was sick pretty much straight after."

"Within fifteen minutes?" she asked and David nodded. "So it'll be safe for her to take more." Mary Margret agreed with his trail of thought.

"I'll get some breakfast going."

"I'm not eating." Emma said decidedly.

"Emma, you won't be sick again." Mary Margret promised. "You need to eat, sweetie, why don't you take a bath first though it might make you feel slightly warmer."

Emma shivered yet again under the blanket, she thought a warm bath sounded pretty good about now that was if she didn't fall asleep in it, plus with more time she would be able to convince her parents to her way of thinking, so she nodded.

David stood up then bent over to press a kiss onto the top of Emma's head. "I'll go turn the heater on in there and start your bath, kiddo." As he moved past his wife he pressed a kiss onto her cheek.

*OUAT*

Emma agreed to let her mother help her without argument, mainly because she was too tired to do so, plus she figured that she may as well save her fight to convince her parents that she wasn't going to eat she really didn't fancy being sick again.

The pain in her ribs and chest was hurting even more. While Mary Margret was busy pouring some bubble bath into the water for her Emma pulled her top slightly up on her right side. She looked down at the vivid purple and red bruises on her side where her ribs were broken, her gaze travelled to her stomach where green and yellow bruises remained from her time in George's manor with Robert she shuddered as she thought about him. She suddenly felt her mother's comforting hand on her shoulder.

"When I was a bandit I ran into some jerks-"

"Jerks?" Emma quirked her eyebrow.

"Yes, well they were full of themselves knights who would make life hell for people they believed to lower than them purely for fun, that fulfils my checklist for jerks." She told her kindly. "One time I was with Ruby we were both travelling through the forest, some 'hotshot' knights were searching for a rumour they had heard, a rumour about a werewolf."

"Ruby?" Emma guessed.

"Yes, someone must have heard a rumour about a traveller being a werewolf, or perhaps they had heard Ruby howling while she was a wolf. I managed to convince Ruby to run and that I would be able to handle it and would meet her on the bridge, I managed to take down two of the people, and I thought that was all there was but as I was running away to meet up with Ruby one other knight had been hiding. He attacked me, he thought that if he kicked my stomach enough I'd become angry and would change into a wolf- "

"-What!"

"It's okay, he quickly realised that I wasn't one and ran away, Ruby ran back and found me – it took all I could to be able to convince her not to go after the guy."

Emma frowned. "But the guy got away with it."

"He didn't face immediate consequences but once your father and I took back power of the kingdom he came to the palace with his band of knights, hoping to be put in our service-"

"-You killed him?" Emma interrupted with amusement in her voice predicting her mother's reaction.

Mary Margret shot her an unamused look. "You watch too many movies." She said flatly causing Emma to laugh a little. "No, but I put an end to their so called knighthoods, and sentenced them to three years of hard labour for all the crimes against countless citizens."

"Woah, that's pretty badass, even if it wasn't violent like he was to you. I'm guessing dad didn't know who the guy was."

Mary Margret gave a bark of laughter. "No he did not otherwise he would have got overprotective like someone else I know." She said pointedly to her daughter. "Ruby knew but she also knew that I could handle it."

"I'm sorry." Emma leant her head against the wall as she watched the bath water continue to run in the almost full bathtub.

Mary Margret suddenly realised that Emma wasn't talking about what had happened in her past. She turned the bath taps off then reached over and brushed a fallen strand of Emma's hair behind her ear. "Emma, what are you saying sorry about?" she asked kindly.

Emma bit her lip, she should have known that her mother wouldn't let her just apologise and be done with it, there always had to be a talk. "It's just… you've been so busy looking after me you haven't been able to spend any time with Ruby or teaching… I know that you love it-"

"- Hey!" Mary Margret interrupted making Emma jump with the sharpness in her tone. "I won't hear it. You are my daughter, you don't apologise for being ill Emma, this is my job and even if it wasn't I would want to look after you while you were ill – I did when I was just Mary Margret." She smiled as Emma looked slightly embarrassed. Although Emma was slowly getting used to her parents genuinely wanting to spend time with her, when she was ill and tired she seemed to remember her past more, especially the bad times while to them seemed to be numerous. "Sweetheart, I love you, so does your father and you never need to apologise or feel guilty about us spending a lot of time with you, just as Neal wouldn't have to."

Emma smiled gratefully but she felt her cheeks turn pink. She went to say something to lighten the mood slightly but as soon as she opened her mouth a long yawn emerged from it.

"Here, I'll help you get into the bath now, before you fall asleep again. Then we can get you some medicine." She saw as Emma pulled a face as though to say there was no chance in hell she was doing it. "Emma, we can't keep going through this whenever you need to take tablets, trust us."

"This is different, I just don't want to throw up again, please mom."

Mary Margret shook her head and gave her a sympathetic smile. "Sorry hon, I'm sure your father will make you some toast which will be easy on your stomach, but next time you wake up in pain wake either me or your father up, even if there's nothing we can actually do to help you shouldn't have to be awake alone while you're in pain."

"You two need to sleep too." Emma insisted.

"Emma, we've managed to handle losing some sleep through a war to get our kingdom back, countless wars and long fights with different villains, two pregnancies which made it hard to sleep especially as we had two witches after our babies at the time, and having a one year old who still sometimes doesn't like sleeping through the night: we can handle being woken up a few times by you while you're ill."

"Fine. Fine, I'll do it." Emma said as she held her hands up in mock surrender though she mainly said that so her parents would lay off her a little.

*OUAT*

Emma fell asleep within half an hour of taking the medicines however just over an hour later she found herself being woken up once again, through this time it wasn't pain waking her up, but little fingers poking her cheek. When she opened her eyes blue eyes were staring deep into her own.

"Hiya Emmy." Neal grinned. He had tried talking to his big sister but she hadn't heard him, she was lying on her back so he decided to climb up onto the bed beside her when he finally managed to pull himself up onto his mommy and daddy's bed which Emma was currently sleeping in her eyes were closed, he gently poked her cheek until her eyes opened.

"It's a bit creepy waking up with your face so close to me baby bro." Emma complained but he either didn't understand what she was talking about or he didn't care as he kept grinning at her excitedly. She couldn't help but find him adorable even if she still felt like she was still half asleep. "What's up squirt?"

"Look." He told her and brought his soft toy knight into her line of sight.

"You woke me up to show me your knight?" Emma asked suddenly remembering with fondness the time she was an only child.

"Yup," Neal smiled, "look!" he held up Emma's teddy bear and smiled.

"Ahh, are your knight and my teddy friends now?"

"Emmy, who's he?"

Emma groaned. This was what she had been woken up for? "He doesn't have a name yet Neal."

"Why?"

Emma tried not to laugh at his annoyed tone apparently he believed that she had had ample time to come up with a name for the bear. But before she had to come up with an answer her father came through the curtain into the room.

"Neal, buddy, what are you doing in here? You were meant to leave Emmy to sleep." He chastised gently as he walked over and sat on the bed beside his children. "Sorry, Em, I took my eyes off of him for a second when I thought that he had fallen asleep."

"I up now." Neal answered him

"I can see you're up now." David answered his son. "I thought that Emma was sleeping, buddy, she's poorly she needs to sleep."

"It's okay dad."

"You need sleep Emma." David told her firmly.

"Well maybe if someone didn't let toddler wake me up…" Emma smirked.

David raised his eyebrow at Emma's sass but a smile played at his lips. "How do I know that you didn't convince your brother to wake you up? You're not exactly the biggest fan of sleeping while you're ill." He laughed when Emma glared at him. "You managed to find out why this trouble woke you up?" He asked Emma as he picked Neal up to sit on his lap he then saw what Neal was holding in his hands. "Were you bringing Emmy's teddy to her?" He was happy that Emma was too tired to shout at him for constantly calling her that even if he was calling her it at least partially for Neal's benefit. "He still not have a name?"

"I might not be able to pick the right one." Emma shrugged.

David smiled gently, he realised that Emma was so concerned with picking the correct one for a reason, it was the bear she should have been able to name a long time ago. "Well if you don't pick the right one you can always change it." He reminded her. "But I happen to believe that you excellent gut instincts."

Emma accepted the bear from Neal's hand and stared at the emerald green eyes of the bear, she ran her thumb down the soft fur, she took a moment to think before she looked at her little brother's face. "His name is Humphrey." She told him.

"Okay." Neal told her happily the fact the teddy was now named seemed to be enough for him as he started to focus on his own teddy.

"You know I know a story about a very brave knight who was called Humphrey." David told Neal.

"Story?" Neal asked excitedly.

"Yes, bud, but first climb under the covers like your sister is." Neal didn't waste any time in doing as his father told him. David then looked at Emma who was still sat up in the bed, he gently pushed her back so she was laying back against the pillows which had been making her sleep slightly upright, in order to make sure she could breathe better while she was sleeping. Emma didn't seem to be opposed to hearing a story, not that she would have had much choice considering she was resigned to bedrest, with any luck David would be able to get _both_ Emma and Neal back to sleep. "Neal copy Emmy and lay back against the pillows, there's a good boy."

"You just happen to know someone called Humphrey?" Emma smirked cocking her eyebrow as she did so.

"Are you suggesting that your father would make up a story?" David asked pretending to be offended. He smiled when he heard Emma laugh quietly but saw that her eyes were heavy. "Now, copy your brother and relax while I tell you a very real story." He watched Emma roll her eyes but place her arm around Neal who cuddled closer to her, once both of them had settled their eyes returned to David, David began his tale. "Once upon a time there was a brave knight named Humphrey…"

Emma and Neal didn't even make it to the end of the story before they fell asleep, Emma first with Neal following close after, David covered them both up in another couple of blankets to keep them warm against the harsh winter weather. David could see how ill Emma was compared to Neal, her skin so much paler, and her breathing though slower in her sleep was still at a startlingly quick speed but they had been assured that it was only natural and that it would get better with time and it had been much faster before so David wasn't overly worried.

He walked out of the bedroom and saw Mary Margret sat at the kitchen table drinking a cup of tea, another mug was sat on the table next to her, David walked over and sat in the seat and wrapped his hands around the hot mug once he had.

"Emma finally got to name her bear." Mary Margret said fondly with a smile, she placed her hand out on the table, David quickly took hold of it and squeezed it.

"Only thirty years later." David joked. "You should see those two in there, Neal's cuddled up to Emma, and they both fell asleep holding their teddies. Our kids are pretty adorable."

"I heard your story," she told him, "I didn't know you knew a knight named Humphrey."

"I'm starting to see where Emma gets her scepticism from." David teased.

"And I think I see where they got their adorableness from."

"I don't understand." David frowned.

"You. The way you were talking to them… being a daddy really suits you." she bit her lip as she looked at her husband.

"Oh it does?" David smirked back.

"I'm not opposed to it." She leant in and kissed him, for once they were without their children complaining or demanding their attention, so they didn't have to shorten the length of the kiss. They decided to take full advantage of this fact.

*OUAT*

Later on that evening Mary Margret and David had arranged with Regina for Henry to come over and visit his mom, it would be good for Henry to see Emma home and safe because no matter how brave he was they could all tell how worried he had been, even when Emma was back in hospital. On saying that, they had to admit that they were slightly anxious for the two to be by themselves, even though David and Mary Margret were pretty sure that Emma wasn't about to leave the loft anyway they didn't want to leave them alone for too long.

"Mom!" Henry went bounding into the bedroom where Emma was sitting with Neal and Mary Margret. He sat on the bed, and placed the wrapped box he had been carrying on the bed beside him, and wrapped his arms around his mother, being particularly careful not to aggravate her injuries as he did so. "I missed you." He whispered as she held him close.

"I missed you too, kid." She whispered back.

"I'm just going to go help David sort out the food," Mary Margret told them as she picked up Neal, "we'll be back in five." Emma smiled at her gratefully for giving the two of them time to talk.

"I'm sorry I got you in trouble while I was in the hospital."

"It's okay." Henry shrugged.

"No, it's not, I shouldn't have done it. And I shouldn't have pressured you into helping me when you were trying to convince me that it was a bad plan." She insisted.

"It's not okay but I understand why you did it." He told her. "You wanted to be home, I get that, I remember wanting to be with all my family when we were in Neverland."

Emma shook her head, how could her son be so understanding, and so mature? "So catch me up, I know we've been texting, but anything else interesting been happening?"

"There's a couple of things." Henry told her. "But before we catch up I brought this for you." He handed Emma the wrapped up present.

"Kid, you know it's not my birthday for almost a year, what's this for?"

"It's a welcome home slash get better soon care package." Henry smiled. "I put it together for you, well my other mom helped a little, but it was my idea."

Emma untied the bow and slowly lifted the lid off. Inside of the box were a number of items which Emma slowly took out of the box one at a time. Hand warmers.

"When you were in hospital you were always saying that you felt cold, especially your hands, I looked on the internet and apparently you'll feel really cold for ages so I thought these might help."

"They're perfect Henry."

Next she took out some throat lozenges, mints, and a pack of bath salts.

"I asked everyone I know if they knew of anything which would help you get better quicker other than medicine and they came up with these."

Emma smiled and brought out a pack of adhesive heating packs. "Are these to help me stay warm too?" She looked at the back of the packet and read what it said. "Ah they're for the pain in my ribs. I'm guessing that your grandparents told you what happened this morning?"

"What? No. Why what'd you do?"

"Who say's I did anything?"

"What'd you do?" Henry repeated with a grin.

Emma rolled her eyes, she should have known that he would be able to see right through that. "I'll tell you later."

She pulled out some magazines, a pack of playing cards with an elaborate design on the back of them, and a pack of cookies.

"Granny made them especially for you, she said that they were all of your favourite flavours." He watched as his mom opened the paper packet to look at the different types of cookies inside. "But I think Grandma might kill you if you eat all of them before we have the food gramps got for us from Granny's."

"Fair point."

Next she pulled out an iPod which she recognised as her own.

"I charged it up for you and added some music," he told her quickly, "I made it into a playlist for you."

Emma opened up the playlist and quickly read some of the artists: The Wombats, Erasure, The Killers, Bastille, Hozier, James Bay, Ed Sheeran, and many others. "You have good taste you must have got that from me." She joked. There was only two items and an envelope left in the box, she brought out one of the items, a DVD case. "I remember this film." She said staring at the cover of Treasure Planet.

"We both felt really ill one weekend when we were living in New York and we ended up watching this film like five times on repeat."

"If I remember rightly I was more into it than you were."

"I preferred ones with people in it which I knew though I didn't know that I knew them at the time."

Emma smiled at the memory of watching them during the year in New York. "Knowing your luck he'll turn out to be like your great grand uncle's first cousin once removed or something." She joked though knowing her luck it'd turn out to be true. She brought a Nintendo DS out of the box. "Henry I can't take your DS."

"It's my old one," he told her "it's loaded with loads of games and my mom did magic on it so that we can play the games against each other no matter how far away from each other we are."

"Including Mario Kart?" Emma grinned as Henry nodded. "Prepare to get your butt whipped at this game." She told him.

"In your dreams." Henry replied equally competitively.

Before the two of them got too competitive David and Mary Margret walked in with Neal following close behind them, Mary Margret held a stack of five plates and a brown bag of food while David had managed to bring in the other brown takeout bag under his arm and five take out cups with straws in his hands. Henry stood up straight away to take a couple of the cups from David.

"You've got Neal's and your Grandma's" David told him, once Henry had placed them on the bedside table David passed him the next one. "There's yours Henry." David then walked over to the other side of the bed and placed his and Emma's drinks on the table on that side.

"A milkshake?" Emma asked as David placed the fast food cup next to her.

"Soda's still a no go." Mary Margret told her from where she was getting Neal settled on the other side of the bed.

Emma started to complain when David interrupted her. "And it'll be a no go for a while."

Emma was going to roll her eyes but she could tell that the worry was coming from a good place. "How long is a while?"

"Until your doctors and nurses no longer look worried when you take a peak flow test." Mary Margret answered.

"So I'll be lucky to get one anytime within a year?" Emma joked in a dead tone.

"It can be your birthday present." David joked. He reached over Emma to pass Henry his food then he unwrapped Emma's for her as he knew it would be harder for her to do so with one arm in a cast. He grinned whilst he sat down with his food on the bed as Emma had pulled her tongue out at him.

Mary Margret had also gotten settled on the bed, along with Neal and Henry, she looked in the box at the end of the bed. "Is your card from Henry?"

"She's not opened it yet." Henry told Mary Margret and the look on his face told her that she wasn't right.

Emma was passed the card by her mother and she opened the envelope, though with some difficulty, the large card had 'Get well soon' written on the front with a cartoon bear on the front with a bandage around it's head and a thermometer hanging out of it's mouth. She opened the hard up and expected to see Henry's name, and it was there but it wasn't alone, the card was filled with signatures and little messages from the people in the town. "…Everyone's signed this…" Emma said quietly to herself with a clearly surprised expression on her face which matched her tone.

"I'm not surprised." Mary Margret told her with a proud smile.

But clearly Emma was. "You're important to a lot of people in this town." David explained. "And you've been missed."

"Yeah," Henry told her in agreement, "people were practically fighting to sign it. Everyone's really happy that you're okay."

Emma just sat staring at the names and messages on the card.


	32. Chapter 32

It had been about a week since Emma had come home and the Charming family were slowly getting back to normal.

Emma had been slowly improving and had finally managed to convince her parents that she was well enough to stay on the couch, though they insisted that she stay mainly led down so that she was still resting, Emma hadn't bothered to object that because she knew she wouldn't win plus she was tired and cold most of the time anyway so she may as well go along with it. More often than not Emma would fall asleep on the couch, often while leaning against one of her parents, David and Mary Margret made the most of this because they knew she was being more physically affectionate with them because she was ill and had been through a lot, and there was only a matter of time before she went back to normal.

David had worked a couple of shifts back at the station, he had mainly been making sure that everything was running smoothly, but as there were other people working at the station there was no immediate rush for him to get back.

Mary Margret, on the other hand, would be going back to work the next day. She was only working at the school part time as she had been before Emma had gotten ill, but she was still anxious to leave Emma, even if she knew that she would be safe hands of David – _both_ Emma and Neal would be. Even so Mary Margret's mothering instincts were in overdrive, and as much as she loved her job, she didn't want to have to go in the next day. Mary Margret felt her husband's arm pull her even closer to him as they led in their bed that night both waiting for sleep to take them.

"Mary Margret-"

"I know that I have to get back to work eventually." She told him quietly, her eyes were still fixed on the monitor which was just relaying Emma's breathing, which was quickened but not anymore than it had been. "I'm just being silly."

"You're not." He reassured her. "I felt the same before going back to work. It's only natural. I just don't want you beating yourself up about it." He pressed his lips to the crown of her head.

"If I remember correctly you text me every half hour or so to make sure that everything was okay." She smiled as she thought about that as she thought about how adorable it was to see how protective he was, if slightly annoying as she tried to do something only to have her phone go off. Even if she couldn't see his face in the dark she knew there was a sheepish look on his face.

"Well, I'm not sure that you'll be able to text quite as often as I did, that's the perks of being in charge." David chuckled. "But you can call whenever you have a break. But, trust me, everything will be fine."

"I have complete faith in you. But are you sure that you don't want Belle or Granny look after Neal? I know that it's hard to have both of them at the same time, Neal could be fussy, and Emma could be feeling really ill tomorrow and have a bad day. I can always get a supply to cover again tomorrow, the school understand.-"

"- Mary Margret, I got this." He told her yet again, though he wasn't hurt by her questions, after all he had asked the same questions before he went back to work. "If Emma gets really bad I will ring you, I promise. But you needn't worry, our girl will be completely fine, and our boy will fine also."

Mary Margret finally led her head down on David's chest. They both heard Emma's coughing go through on the monitor and tensed, the coughing quickly subsided and they listened to hear if her breathing, they relaxed when they heard that her breathing returned to normal and they both closed their eyes.

*OUAT*

David had woken up with Neal before Mary Margret was woken up by their son talking to himself. He had decided the day before to try to make his wife's life as easy as possible before she went to work so that she would have absolutely no reason to feel the need to stay, and with only Neal awake it would be easy enough to do so, Emma would be up a couple of hours after Mary Margret left so he wouldn't have to convince her to take her medicine until after his wife was gone. So he made some pancakes as he knew that his wife would love them with some berries, he kept an eye on Neal who was playing with his building blocks as he cooked, David set aside a portion of the pancake mix and added some chocolate chips for Emma to have later.

He finished off making the pancakes and placed them all on a plate, as he was placing berries into a dish he heard Mary Margret walking into the room. "Good morning." He called to her happily. "Take a seat and I'll bring over our breakfast." He grabbed the plates and the food and took it over to the table where Mary Margret was sat with a smile on her face. "Neal, buddy, breakfast time you can play with your bricks afterwards." The boy ran over to David and was placed in his high chair.

"What's all this for?" Mary Margret asked him with a smile as she dished out some fruit onto the pancakes she had taken.

"Can't I just cook breakfast for my wife?" he asked innocently.

"Of course you can," Mary Margret replied with a smile, "but I know you." She fixed him a knowing look.

"I just wanted you to start your first day back well." David shrugged with a charming smile.

"This was a perfect start," she leant over to him and pressed a kiss to his lips, "thank you."

"You're very welcome." He told her. The two started to eat, exchanging pleasant small talk as they did so, until they heard the unmistakeable sound of footsteps on the metal stairs. Both he and Mary Margret looked up and saw Emma walking down the stairs.

"Emma," Mary Margret said surprised, "what are you doing up? Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm fine," Emma told her concerned looking parents, "I just woke up. I figured I'd have some breakfast."

"Are you sure you're okay Emma?" David asked with a worried frown. "You're not normally up this early _even_ for breakfast."

Emma just shrugged as she dropped into an empty seat at the kitchen table. "I'm hungry." She lied as she rubbed the sleep out of her eye, she wasn't particularly hungry, nor was she overly awake but she had wanted to be downstairs while her mom was still home so she had set an alarm to wake her up that morning.

David paused with a thoughtful look on his face, he glanced at Mary Margret and shared a look with her, then looked back at Emma with a small smile on his face. "I'll get your pancakes started kiddo." He told her as he stood up.

"No," Emma said quickly, "you don't have to. You should finish your breakfast, if I become starving I'll just grab some of those." She nodded to the pancakes which were on the table.

"They're plain."

"I can eat plain ones."

"You prefer chocolate chip."

"Maybe I want plain ones."

"I doubt that." David subtly shot a playful glare at Mary Margret who was hiding a laugh behind her hand. She was clearly finding the two's verbal sparring entertaining. He left the table and walked over to the kitchen to start the chocolate chip pancakes off.

Emma sighed and sent a small glare to David's retreating back but she knew it was pointless, so instead she looked back at her mother, who was still looking at her in concern. "Mom, I'm fine." Emma repeated, though she said it as kindly as she could.

"You're not yet but you will be." Mary Margret told her gently, she held her hand out to feel for Emma's temperature, and for once Emma didn't shrug away. "How are you feeling today?"

"My breathing's gotten better." She told her. "My chest is pretty sore though. But I'll be fine mom."

"Of course you'll be fine," David walked over to the table with some juice for Emma and her medicines including her inhalers, "you get to spend the day with me and Neal, what more could anyone want?" David teased.

"Are you sure you don't want me to stay home, sweetie?" Mary Margret asked in a teasing tone though she knew that if Emma said yes even slightly seriously she would stay home in a second.

"It's okay. I'll bear it like a martyr." Emma told her, though the temptation to say yes was overwhelming, but she stopped herself from being that clingy.

David rolled his eyes at them both. "Take your inhalers, Em." He told her before he walked back over to the kitchen to finish cooking.

Emma would have ignored her father, at least for the time being, but she felt her mother's eyes on her also. She wanted her mom to stay with her there, but she didn't _need_ her there, plus she was sure that her mom was looking forward to going back to work; so Emma stayed quiet and took her inhalers.

David walked back over with Emma's pancakes and took a seat at the table again and helped himself to some fruit. He could see nervousness in both Emma and Mary Margret's faces at the thought of not being in each other's company until later that evening. He remembered having the same look on his own face, and it being on Emma's face, a few days earlier when he was going back to work; but this was different, his shifts were shorter and even then he only worked for a few hours as the town was quiet and there was only so much old paperwork he could handle. "Are you starting the planning for the school's art festival today?" David asked hoping to perk his wife up as he knew that she was looking forward to the event, even Emma seemed to be interested in the event, he figured it would be a safe topic to talk about; and he was right.

Mary Margret glanced at the clock and saw that she really must get moving in order to be on time to work. She stood up and started to clear away her breakfast things when suddenly David's hand was on her own.

"It's okay I'll clear everything," he smiled at her, "you can just get ready."

"Thank you." Mary Margret smiled and pressed a kiss to his lips. "Do you want me to get Neal ready?"

"No, it's okay, I'll give him a B-A-T-H after you've gone." David continued to smile at her. He looked over at Emma who was continuing to pick at her pancakes, she had barely eaten anything so he had been right to not believe her claims that she was hungry earlier, clearly she had just wanted to be up in order to see her mom. It was kind of adorable to see, but he was sure that Emma would end up falling asleep pretty much as soon as Mary Margret had gone, but first she needed to eat enough so that she could take her tablets without getting sick. "Do you want something else to eat?"

"No thanks." Emma stopped herself from sighing, she knew how this was going to go. "I'm not hungry."

"You need to eat some more before you can take your tablets." He told her not unkindly. He focused instead on cleaning Neal up the best he could form random bits of pancakes and mushed fruit, he was surprised when out of the corner of his eye he saw Emma continue to eat, apparently getting sick the other day was still playing on her mind.

He noticed as Mary Margret came out of the bathroom freshly showered and dressed and looking way too awake for half seven in the morning, he was sure that Emma hadn't noticed her as she, having finally finished her pancakes, start to take her tablets deliberately avoiding her steroid ones.

"Dad," Emma started what seemed to be a daily battle to avoid taking them, "do I really have to take these?"

"Emma," Mary Margret interrupted before David had to answer, "Doctor Whale said you had to take them until your next appointment." She watched as Emma immediately took her tablets. She shared a look with David who walked over to meet her. "Is it just me or is Emma actually…" She said quietly so Emma wouldn't hear, but she trailed off at the end of the sentence unsure how to word it.

"Behaving?" David smirked in amusement but stopped when he saw that Mary Margret looked worried. "I think that she's just making sure that she gets to see you before you go to work."

"So she's trying to make it easier for me just like you did?" Mary Margret said looking touched. She still felt torn between staying and going. She knew that it was silly wanting to stay home with her sick adult daughter, but she didn't care, this was the first time Emma had been sick since she had found out she was her daughter plus she _had_ been kidnapped. She pulled David into a kiss. "I should get going. If you need anything ring me."

"We'll be fine."

"David, I'm serious, if you or either of the kids need me ring me." She said firmly.

David jokingly held up his hands at her stern tone. "Yes ma'am. But we will be fine, I promise you, we'll be okay and the loft will still be standing when you get home tonight."

"It better." She walked over to say goodbye to Neal. "You be a good boy for daddy and I'll see you later."

"And Emmy?" Neal asked.

""Yes, sweetie, Emma's staying home with you too."

"She poorly?"

Mary Margret smiled at the concern in his voice. "Yes, she's still poorly, will you look after her for me?"

"Yes mommy. Love you! Bye!" He was apparently completely unaffected by the mixed feelings both his sister and mother were having as he walked over to his blocks and continued to play with his blocks.

Mary Margret then walked over to Emma who gave her a small smile, she just pulled her daughter into a hug, she felt Emma's arms slip around her and her head rest on her shoulder. "If you need me let me know and I'll come straight home, for anything you need, okay?"

"Does that include if dad tries to get me to eat something healthy?" Emma joked.

"If your father gets you to eat something healthy he'll deserve a medal." She joked back. "Please be good-"

"-mom, I'm not five, I'll be fine."

"- take your medicines and tell David if you feel ill." Mary Margret continued as though Emma hadn't spoke at all. "I love you and I'll see you later."

"Love you too mom." Emma told her quietly.

*OUAT*

As David and Mary Margret walked over to the front door together, Emma smothered another yawn in her hand, but she wasn't in the mood to go back to bed she had slept enough over the past few weeks – she was starting to get antsy. She looked glanced across the table and saw her father had left his coffee, she knew that she shouldn't but she really did miss drinking coffee, plus it would keep her awake for at least a while longer. She grabbed the mug and smelt in the sweet smell of the coffee, she could hear her mother finally saying goodbye and realised she only had a certain amount of time left, she quickly took a large sip of the hot coffee. As soon as she did she almost spat it back out, it was much bitterer than she had remembered being, way too bitter.

David closed the door after he saw Mary Margret out, having made multiple assurances to his wife yet again that they would still be fine without her for a few hours. He turned around with a smile on his face as he turned to face his son and daughter. But the smile quickly dropped off of his face when he saw what Emma was drinking. "Emma!"

Emma jumped at the sound of David's voice, she spilled a little of the coffee as she did so, she slowly placed the mug down as though making any sudden movements would make David aware of what he had clearly already seen. "Dad, I can explain…" David's expression turned stern and he placed both hands on his hips. "Would you believe that I thought it was my juice?" she asked quietly with a sheepish smile on her face.

"Not for a second." He told her firmly. "Emma you know you're not meant to drink coffee, the caffeine is not good from you: it could irritate your throat I've heard of studies where they found that it affects the immune system-"

"-Did you get that from the internet? I knew that you should never have found out how to use it." Emma interrupted.

"Even if none of that applied, coffee will still dehydrate you, you're not getting any more." David told her. Mary Margret hadn't been gone for even five minutes, and Emma was already drinking something she wasn't meant to be, what was next? Neal playing with matches?

Emma scrunched up her face. "I won't be trying to, that was disgusting, did you even put sugar in it?"

David sat next to her with a sigh. "That's because your body's not used to it anymore, there was plenty of sugar in it, I'm pretty sure your mother glared at me when she saw how much I poured in." he handed her the glass of juice which was on the table to get rid of the taste in her mouth. "Now, can I trust you in here by yourself while I bathe your brother, you're not going to go rooting for some sodas or something are you?" he only half joked.

"Soda does sound really good right now, but there is none, I already looked the other day."

David rolled his eyes, of course she had already tried to search for them, though she had clearly missed the ones Mary Margret had hid. "Good, behave. Hey Neal, buddy, you want a bath?"

Neal sped over to his father. "Bubbles?" he asked excitedly.

"Yes you can have bubbles." He picked up is son and threw him over his shoulder.

"Bye Emmy!" Neal shouted as he was carried towards the bathroom.

"Bye squirt." Emma walked over to the couch, dropped herself down, carefully so that she didn't hurt her ribs. She picked up the remote and started to flick through the television channels, she found a couple of films which looked good but she knew they would make her fall asleep, but even with the coffee attempt failing she was still anxious to stay awake.

When David walked back in, with Neal bathed and newly dressed, Emma was still flicking through the channels. "I think your big sister's being stubborn, buddy." David muttered to his son before he walked over with him on his hip so they could both join Emma on the couch. With Neal on his lap he started to dry his son's curly hair, it reminded him so much of his wife's, he wondered if Emma's hair had been the same when she was Neal's age after all it went curly while it was went now. "Is there nothing on the film channels?" he suggested as he knew that's what she would normally have done. He dried Neal's hair playfully, making the toddler giggle, he saw Emma rub her eyes in his peripheral vision.

"Nothing I feel like watching." Emma lied.

"Maybe we could watch that space film?" David offered. "We haven't gotten around to watching it yet and your brother will probably be distracted by his toys until he takes a nap later." Neal wiggled off of David's lap and ran back over to his blocks which he was so immersed in earlier on.

Emma debated it for a moment, she had been meaning to watch the film for a while but they had never found the time, plus she was sure it was full of action so would probably help wake her up. "Sounds good."

David stood up to take the towel back to the bathroom and on his way back into the room he slipped The Martian DVD into the player. The two sat watching the film, when Mark Watney discovered the potato sapling David looked over at his daughter with wonder on his face, only to notice that Emma's eyes were closed. He smiled then gently helped her lie down and covered her with a few blankets. He then sat on the floor next to Neal to play with the blocks with him.

*OUAT*

"It's okay Neal, lunch will be ready soon, okay buddy?" David hushed as he bounced Neal on his hip in front of the stove but Neal continued to cry quietly. Emma had been asleep for the past few hours, peacefully on the couch, but Neal had refused to sleep; meaning he had gotten rather clingy and whiny. As he stirred the mince for the spaghetti and soothed Neal, he kept an eye on Emma, he knew that he would have to wake her up to eat soon.

She had still been having bad dreams, not the ones she had had when Robert was sending them, but those ones had triggered some old memories which were often accompanied or alternated with ones of her kidnapping. David and Mary Margret had spoken to Archie, to see if there was anything else that they could do to help Emma, but he assured them that talking to Emma like they had been was the best way to help her. Plus if Emma wanted Archie would give her some sessions, though when they had suggested that to Emma she had refused, if she still needed help at a later date they would talk to her about it again.

"How about we have this yummy spaghetti soon then we'll watch Bolt, does that sound good?"

"And Emmy?" Neal asked with his bottom lip jutted out.

"Yeah, Emmy will eat with us and I'm sure she'd love to watch Bolt with us." Obviously Emma wouldn't be overjoyed to watch the film but he was sure she'd watch it for her little brother.

Neal stopped crying but continued to cling to David's shirt, it made it pretty hard to cook, but it was doable. Just as the pasta came to a boil he heard Emma start to make a noise in the living room, he hoped that she had just woken up, but as he listened closer he heard her cry out in her sleep. He quickly turned the stove down, about to race to the living room, but when he passed the island counter his cell phone started to ring.

He grabbed hold of the phone and walked quickly to the living room, as he was walking he noticed Mary Margret's face on the phone's display, he knew he should probably answer and let her know that he'd call her back in a couple of minutes so she wouldn't worry; but if he did that she would hear the sound Neal fussing and Emma crying and would just worry more, he couldn't help but worry that if she heard that she would think he wasn't up to the job, which of course was absurd.

He placed the cell down on the table beside the couch and sat on the floor in front of Emma, he tried to move Neal off of his lap but the toddler continued to cling to him, and Emma continued to cry in her sleep her face was scrunched up as she cried. David placed his hand on Emma's arm and shook her gently. "Emma. Emma, kiddo, wake up."

Emma's eyes shot open and locked onto David's. "Dad?" she felt a cold sweat run down her.

"Yeah, kiddo, it's me." He moved his hand from her shoulder to her cheek. "You're okay, you had a bad dream, but you're okay." Emma sat up and quickly threw herself at him, he quickly wrapped his spare arm around his daughter with his hand on the back of her head, and made soothing hushes as she steadied her breathing against his shoulder. The arm which wasn't in a cast was wrapped around him with her hand holding tight to the back of his shirt.

"George was here." Emma muttered against her father's shoulder and felt him hold onto her even tighter. "He came to get me."

"He's not here, Emma." He promised her. "He's in New York stuck in a prison which he's never getting out of."

"Are you sure."

"I'm certain." He felt her nod against his shoulder but she didn't move.

"Emmy what wrong?" Neal asked his sister he rubbed his hand up and down her arm.

"Emmy had a bad dream, buddy, but she's going to be okay."

"It okay Emmy." Neal told her kindly.

David pressed a kiss onto Neal's head then one onto Emma's, his phone buzzed on the table, then started to ring. "Em, I'm going to sit next to you 'cause I need to get that, it's your mom." As expected Emma let go of him just enough for him to move himself and Neal to the couch, he placed his arm around her and grabbed his cell phone with the other. He could feel her still shaking under his arm.

"Hey Mary Margret," he said once he had placed his phone to his ear, "yeah I'm sorry I missed your call. No, no, everything's fine here…. I was just making us some lunch and then I heard Emma having a bad dream. Mary Margret she's fine. Okay, yes, I love you too." He took the phone away from his ear and held it to Emma. "Your mom wants to talk to you." Emma took the phone out of his hand. "I'm just going to go check on our food, Em." He picked Neal up and carried him out to the kitchen.

Once David managed to salvage the spaghetti, throwing away any burnt bits as he went along, he plated it up smiling as he watched Emma sit down at the kitchen table.

"Don't worry mom knows that you haven't burnt the loft down." She smirked as her father looked apprehensively at her.

*OUAT*

Mary Margret wasn't sure what she was expecting as she unlocked the door into the loft; perhaps for some of the kitchen to be on fire, or for David to be panicked and everyone screaming, or for general mess everywhere, but there was none and if she was honest she was a tiny bit disappointed that she wasn't needed. The kitchen was, of course, fully intact and not even slightly smouldering, the loft was tidy with only a few of Neal's toys strewn around, and there was certainly no screaming or panicking. Instead David, Neal, and Emma were all playing snap, or at least they were trying to, Emma seemed to be finding it hard to control her competitive nature even against her baby brother.

But as soon as she stepped into the loft, her boots clicking on the wood, her family all looked up. Neal was the first up, his little legs carried him to her faster than it would seem possible, he was followed by David who sent a worried look at Emma when she pulled herself to her feet. Mary Margret walked over to meet her family, she swooped her son up as he collided with her legs, and was swiftly pulled into a kiss by her husband.

"Hello." He whispered before deepening the kiss, either forgetting or not caring that both their children were next to them.

"Say 'ew' squirt." David and Mary Margret heard Emma encourage. The two broke apart with a quiet laugh, it was good to hear Emma making her usual sarcastic comments.

Mary Margret wrapped the arm which wasn't holding Neal around Emma. "Hi sweetheart."

"Hey mom." She led her head against her mom's shoulder, she'd had a really nice day with just her dad and brother, but she had still missed her.

"I missed you." Mary Margret spoke quietly so that only Emma would hear her.

"I missed you too." Emma replied though her words were slightly distorted by the chattering of her teeth.

"Are you cold?" Mary Margret asked in a worried tone.

"Always." Emma shrugged, she was kind of become used to feeling freezing cold all the time, by now.

"You should take a warm bath, that will warm you up slightly," she stood slightly back from Emma and placed the back of her hand against her forehead, "you're a little warm. David, when did she last take medicine?" David didn't have a chance to answer as Emma started to laugh. "What?"

"You've been home for like two minutes and you're already going into overprotective mom mode."

"Hush." Mary Margret joked as she shooed Emma into the bathroom. Neal joined in the shooing gestures before he wiggled down from his mother's grip, the novelty of her being home had now worn off.

David wrapped his arm around Mary Margret's shoulder and led her towards the kitchen. "Coffee or tea?" he offered.

"Tea please." She looked around the loft, lost in her thoughts.

"You surprised it's still standing?" David smirked placing the hot beverage in front of her.

"No, I just…" she looked down at her cup of tea to avoid his eyes but his hands slipped around hers and she met his eyes again. "A lot has happened, so much, too much… I think that we're slowly getting back to normal."

David looked from his wife's green eyes, to where Neal was now helping his dinosaur toy destroy a city of his other toys, to the closed door of the bathroom where Emma's quiet music was singing out of, then back to his wife's eyes. "I think we are, it's been quite a while, I've almost forgotten what it's like." He leant forward slightly and brushed a kiss upon her lips. "We should order some pizza tonight."

"To celebrate?" David shrugged and Mary Margret smiled. "I think that's a brilliant idea."

*OUAT*

Emma walked out of the bathroom, regretting leaving the warm bathroom for the cold loft, and automatically made her way towards the couch ready to drop down on it.

"Emma," Mary Margret's voice stopped her in her tracks, "you need to dry your hair. It won't do you any good to leave it wet."

"But mom-" Emma whined.

"- I'll dry it for you but you can't leave it wet." Emma shrugged her acceptance and Mary Margret left her momentarily to get the things then returned and sat beside Emma. "Turn around." Emma turned sideways on the couch and Emma did the same. "Do you want braids?"

"Sure." Emma shrugged again. "How was work, did you get started on the arts festival things?"

Mary Margret combed through Emma's hair, separating it into partitions as she did so, gently pulling on any tangles. "It went really well, it was mainly a few meetings and brain storming sessions, but I think that the kids will really like it. It was weird being back at work, it was weird being without your father, brother, and you."

"It was weird here too." She told her. "We've not been apart since I first got ill."

Mary Margret stopped combing Emma's hair for a minute. "Emma, if it's too much for you for us to be apart right now that's okay, you've been through a lot and we can sort something out."

"No it's okay," Emma shook her head a little, "it's just a little weird. But I'm fine. I promise. It's not like I'm five." Emma smirked.

"It doesn't matter how old you are," she started to braid her hair, "I'm always going to worry about you."

Emma rolled her eyes but she understood, after all, she felt the same way with Henry and she doubted that that feeling was going to lessen as he got older. "Anyway, it's okay, I'll be going back to work soon."

"In a few weeks." Mary Margret gently reminded her. "And you _know_ that you'll be on desk duty for a while."

"I kind of figured that, mom, like dad won't be even more over protective once I get back."

"I guess that's what happens when you work with your father." Mary Margret smiled though she expected that there may be some tension in the loft over that in the not too distance future. "It was nice getting back to teaching." Mary Margret mused as she finished off the braid.

"I bet you never thought when you were a kid that you were going to be a badass warrior princess and an amazing teacher."

Mary Margret laughed she really did have a way with words.

Soon after the door to the loft opened, making Emma jump as she hadn't expected it, and Neal jumped up in excitement. "Daddy!" he called running over to his father.

"Hey buddy." David greeted with pizza boxes in hand.

"Wait, you went out?" Emma said confused as she had thought he was still in the loft.

"You didn't notice that I was gone?" David had a look of amusement on his face. "Wow, I'm hurt." He mocked.

Emma looked slightly guilty. "Sorry."

David smiled at her to let her know that she was only joking, he placed the pizza boxes on the counter as Mary Margret grabbed plates for them all, he walked over to Emma and pulled a DVD box out of his pocket.

"How big are your pockets?" she asked in slight amazement, how come no women's clothes could have pockets that big?

David just chuckled. "Hey Neal, you wanna watch this?" He showed his son the front of the DVD which was met with immediate excitement.

"What is it?" Emma asked unable to see the cover.

"Wait and see." He placed the DVD in the player and hit pause before anything could come up on the screen. "Neal go sit next to Emma, sunshine."

"Hey Neal, you know what movie we're-"

"- Em, have some patience, don't try to coerce it out of your little brother"

"Come on, dad, why's it got to be a surprise?"

"Because it annoys you." David smirked. "You just have to wait five minutes while your mom and I grab the food and drinks." He took one step to leave the room then stopped, he grabbed hold of the remote and took it with him when he left.

"I don't think he trusts me squirt." She grumbled.

"It okay, Emmy."

She wrapped her arms around him. "Thanks bro."

Mary Margret and David walked in carrying a couple of pizza boxes, plates, a bowl of fries, and two cups of Coca-Cola and two milkshakes.

"No soda still?" Emma asked though she wasn't surprised.

"Emmy same." Neal pointed at Emma's glass of milkshake and his sippy-cup which was full of milkshake also.

"See Emmy, you've got the same as your brother, isn't that cool?" David said enthusiastically but with a slight tease in his voice to Emma, he knew that if Neal was happy Emma wouldn't complain too much.

"Fantastic." Emma said dryly, but she moved to the centre of couch so David and Mary Margret could sit down.

Mary Margret sat with Neal between her and Emma. David handed her two plates, one with pizza for her, and one with pizza cut up for Neal.

"Do you need yours cut up too?" David asked Emma yet again trying to tease her. Emma scowled at him so he just passed her a plate with a couple of slices on it. He then grabbed some for himself and sat in the place Emma had left for him. Apparently he hadn't annoyed her too much as he could have sworn she moved closer to him as soon as he sat down. He grabbed the remote he had brought back in with him and hit play.

"Nemo!" Neal told his mother happily.

"Yes, clever boy, this is a Nemo film. But this one is about his friend Dory." She looked over and saw that Emma was beaming at the television.

Finding Nemo had been one of Neal's favourite films recently, and it was one of the few which all Emma, David, and Mary Margret had enjoyed watching together. As the film went on Neal moved to Mary Margret's lap and Emma moved closer to her father. Emma remembered how her parents would get a slightly sad look on their faces whenever they watched Finding Nemo, watching Finding Dory, she now realised how they felt. Watching Dory frantically search for he parents was heart breaking and only too familiar. But, like Dory, Emma had found her parents. Emma moved closer to her father who tightened his arm around her and she took hold of her mother's hand who squeezed back comfortingly.

She still had a little way until she was better and until she had fully recovered from her kidnapping, but she knew that no matter what she had her family around her, so she would be okay.


	33. Epilogue

Emma was ecstatic, hell, she was almost hyper. It had been a long couple of months but she would finally be heading back to work. Granted it was only for a couple of hours and it was strictly in the station under David's watchful eye and within the first five shifts of that happening she would be bored out of her mind. But she was finally able to be someplace which wasn't her home, a hospital, or held against her will. And she couldn't wait. After so long away she almost felt as though it was her first day at school.

"Why don't we go out to Granny's?" David suggested.

"Wait, go _out_ to eat? Count me in." Emma chimed in even though she was pretty sure that David was talking to Mary Margret.

"I'm not sure." Mary Margret hesitated her eyes on David.

"I think some fresh air would be good for all of us," David told her, "plus it'd be good for Emma to gain her strength before work tomorrow."

"I'm with Dad," Emma shot her mother puppy-dog eyes, "if I don't go out to Granny's I might waste away."

Mary Margret rolled her eyes at her daughter's dramatics but agreed. The family were quickly ready and bundled into the car and on their way to the diner.

Once out of the car David let Emma lead the way, with Mary Margret carrying Neal close behind.

When Emma opened the door instead of hearing the usual bell, which she expected, there was a much rowdier noise. The sound of all of their friends and family from the town cheering 'Surprise!". Emma stopped in the door in shock, it was only David's hand on her back and Henry, who had suddenly appeared in front of her, taking her hand and pulling her forward.

There was food on the counter, banners hung all around saying 'Welcome home', there was even a small pile of presents in the corner. Ruby stood at the counter with her arm subtly draped around another lady's, whom Emma assumed from what her mother had told her was Skye, Regina was in the corner with Robin looking proudly at Henry, Leroy and the rest of his brothers were sat in a booth with a goblet of ale in each of their hands. Ella and the rest of the Mommy and Me group were doted around the room.

Emma looked back at her parents.

"It was Henry's idea." David told her nodding towards his grandson.

"The more people who heard about it the more who wanted to be here." Mary Margret smiled at her fondly.

"Is this okay, mom?" Henry asked when Emma looked back at him.

"It's perfect Henry." She pulled him into a tight hug.

"Good." Henry smiled. "There's someone who's been waiting to see you." He told her and indicated to the scar faced man who stood in the corner, his appearance had improved greatly since Emma had last saw him back on the Toll Bridge, he even had a smile on his face. She gave her son another quick hug before walking over to the man who she thought she might call a friend.

"It's nice to meet you _Sheriff_ Swan." Edward smiled as he held out his hand for her to shake. "It's good to hear that you're back."

She looked from him to the rest of her family and friends her eyes finally landing on her parents who smiled at her with love. "It's good to be back."


End file.
